Angola hit by fresh flood threat
Pastor Dale Morgan
Angola hit by fresh flood threat*
By Lara Pawson
BBC News, Luanda
Thousands of villagers have been displaced and hundreds remain stranded
in isolated areas as floods ravage eastern Angola near the Zambian border.
Heavy rains have caused havoc in several southern African countries
during recent weeks.
In January, torrential rainfall in Angola's capital, Luanda, left more
than 75 people dead.
But poor access has threatened rescue efforts for these latest floods,
in the remote province of Moxico.
More than 400 houses have been destroyed and 9,000 people displaced in
the latest flooding, caused by rising water levels on the River Zambezi.
All of the affected villages are close to the banks of the river, which
runs through the far east of Angola into neighbouring Zambia.
Twist of fate
Attempts to help those who have been displaced and stranded have been
hampered by the terrible condition of roads and bridges throughout
Moxico. Landslides have also been reported.
The International Organisation for Migration says it can take up to four
or even five days to reach these areas by car.
Aid organisations now fear that many of the villagers are also at risk
from malaria, with three deaths already confirmed.
The local hospital says it lacks vital supplies to treat the sick.
These floods are a particularly cruel twist of fate for many villagers
in the area.
They have only recently returned home from Zambia, where they fled for
safety during Angola's 27-year civil war.