Luanda, April 16, 2026 (Lusa) - Angola's minister of state and head of the president’s military office, Francisco Furtado, has said that the government has mobilised more than 1,000 tonnes of aid for the flood victims in Benguela province.
President João Lourenço visited Benguela on Wednesday to observe damage from the heavy rains. Last weekend, the Cavaco River overflowed, killing 19 people, leaving 11 missing, and affecting over 9,000 families, according to the latest fire department report. Besides the government, companies have donated over 700 tonnes of aid so far, the minister said, noting that "national solidarity" for Benguela province was essential for the country.
The minister said the president used a helicopter to observe the affected areas, including a ruptured dyke on the Cavaco River's left bank. He then walked through areas where officials are registering and temporarily housing displaced people.
After the tour, the president met with the local council and civil protection.
The minister said the president spoke with people in temporary shelters. He observed that they were "in high spirits, waiting for a solution to their problems" and spoke with companies on the ground recovering infrastructure to prevent future incidents.
"We will continue to work to channel necessary support to Benguela, not just to mitigate the current situation, but also to begin major recovery and infrastructure construction at the end of the rainy season in late May," he said. He added that these actions aim to end the phenomenon in the Cavaco and Catumbela rivers.
The government also instructed local civil protection to warn people against building in high-risk areas and to encourage river dredging.
The minister said local civil protection and the central government responded quickly, deploying helicopters, Navy assets, 15 marine teams, and five vessels to rescue those stranded.
Rescue teams have saved over 3,600 people from risk areas to date. Furtado told journalists that support from the government, companies, and civil society was fundamental to ensure stability for families, even in precarious conditions.
The minister said the government had delivered about 830 tonnes of food and essential goods to Benguela by Tuesday to support resettlement, particularly for those in temporary shelters.
"Authorities sent accommodation materials, medicine, and food to guarantee a normal life for these people," the minister said. He added that work would continue and praised the "mass solidarity across the country for the cause in Benguela."
He also noted the commitment of construction companies to rectifying the situations that arose following the breach of the dyke, so that should any further changes occur, the effects will no longer be devastating.
NME/LYT // AYLS
Lusa
