Angola hit by fresh flood threat

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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.