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Government & UNHCR cooperation on health to affected populations: Case of Lunda Norte, Angola

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Download logo

Present in more than 134 countries, the UN Refugee Agency works closely with host governments to protect and assist refugees and to find long-term solutions to their problems. Even before UNHCR and other relief organizations are on the scene, host communities are the first provider of support to refugees and asylum-seekers.

A good collaboration is important and in the Angolan municipality of Lóvua, humanitarian workers have implemented this to maximum effect.

The local government carries out many activities in the settlement while humanitarian workers continue to support the government with services to the host community.

In the area of health, Lóvua municipality has just one health center to serve 12,000 inhabitants. There is no doctor in the health system in Lóvua and this means that the 13 nurses in the community have to take on and cure medical cases. Since 2018, Medicos del Mundo has been UNHCR ’s official health partner in Lunda Norte as part of the response to more than 20,000 Congolese refugees who live in Lóvua settlement.

Collaborating health activities and services with the local government is important and UNHCR has been coordinating this with a high degree of success. To this end, UNHCR has also aided the local government in its health service to the host communities.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).