Seventy percent of the population lives in government controlled urban centers, where relief agencies are struggling to meet current needs. Combatants on both sides of the war should provide access to the International Committee for the Red Cross and other agencies to cross battle-lines to assess the humanitarian situation and respond where necessary. Humanitarian assistance will need to be provided by air for the foreseeable future. In some areas of the country, overland travel is impossible due to active conflict. In other areas, banditry makes road travel too risky.
Funding is currently insufficient to support increased expenses of a prolonged airlift operations.
Donors have failed to fulfill previous food donation pledges. The World Food Program is able to meet only 60 percent of current food distribution requirements. Begin conducting regular nutritional surveys in 2-3 month intervals. Increase efforts to assess the level of vulnerability among families. Recent nutritional surveys indicate that nutrition levels among resident and displaced populations in conflict areas such as Huambo are virtually the same.