West attacked for failing refugees

Zambia has a large and growing refugee population

A senior United Nations official in southern Africa has attacked the international community for not doing enough to help millions of African refugees.

African refugees were living in "scandalously unacceptable conditions" compared with refugees in other parts of the world, said United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) regional director Ilungu Ngandu.

Mr Ngandu also accused the European Union of failing to maintain its contributions to the UN's food aid agency, the World Food Programme (WFP), depriving it of 40% of its budget.

Where is the solidarity of the international community ?

Ilungu Ngandu, UNHCR

He was speaking after a tour of refugee camps in western Zambia crowded with Angolan and Congolese people who have fled from conflicts in their own countries.

Mr Ngandu said conditions in African refugee camps were far worse than in other countries, and attacked the international community for lacking solidarity.

"Such problems did not happen in Kosovo, such problems did not happen in East Timor," he said.

'A lost cause'

Mr Ngandu went on to accuse the international community of effectively giving up on Africa and its long-running wars as a lost cause.

Mr Ngandu says the UN was quick to help Kosovan refugees

He also accused the European Union of being quick to react to crises closer to home, but effectively abandoning Africa by failing to keep up its WFP contributions.

"When problems erupted in Kosovo, individual countries such as France and Italy sent assistance directly, " said Mr Ngandu.

"For Africa, it is left to the WFP, Africa is too far for consideration," he added.

The European Commission rejects these claims, and on Thursday announced it was stepping up its commitment to the WFP.

Refugee crisis

Zambia is home to over 220,000 refugees, mainly Angolas fleeing ongoing violence between government forces and Unita rebels in their own country.

The situation in East Timor is much better than in Africa, says Mr Ngandu

Migrants from Congo, Burundi and Rwanda have also increased refugee numbers, which officials estimate grow by about 250 per day.

On Thursday, the Zambian Home Affairs Minister Peter Machungwa warned that food shortages in the camps were forcing refugees to steal crops from neighbouring villages, creating unrest and tension.

"The rations which are given are so small that we are creating a near riot," said Mr Machungwa.

His words echoed those of Mr Ngandu, who earlier warned that what food supplies there are in Zambia were not guaranteed to actually reach refugees because of distribution problems.