JOHANNESBURG – Human Rights Watch called on Angolan authorities on Thursday to launch an independent investigation into the collapse of the Cavaco River dike and to provide immediate, transparent assistance to the thousands of people displaced by the floods that devastated Benguela province in April.
Heavy rain on 12 April 2026 caused the dike protecting the Cavaco River to give way, unleashing floodwaters that swept through several urban and semi‑urban neighbourhoods in the province. Official figures record at least 19 deaths, 31 people missing and more than 8 000 families affected. Rescue teams saved 3 624 individuals, but 1 540 homes were destroyed, 3 871 damaged and 2 586 remained under water in the weeks that followed.
“The scale of destruction raises serious concerns about the authorities’ ability to prevent and respond to foreseeable risks,” said Sheila Nhancale, Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Families need urgent humanitarian aid and answers about how the dike collapsed.”
Human Rights Watch gathered testimony from eight residents, a journalist, two lawyers, a volunteer and a local activist in May 2026, and examined government statements, media reports and satellite imagery of the aftermath. Residents described long‑standing structural vulnerabilities in areas such as Calomanga, Massangarala, Seta Antiga, Santa Teresa, Cotel, Calomburaco and Tchipiandalo, as well as parts of Lobito and Catumbela municipalities. Many said the dike had been deteriorating for years and had not received maintenance since 2002, a lapse that likely contributed to its failure.
One Calomanga resident recounted that on the morning of 12 April water surged into the neighbourhood without warning, killing dozens. He said he saw 13 bodies and helped retrieve eight. “More than 300 people are still sleeping in the open, with only occasional distributions of mattresses,” he told Human Rights Watch on 3 May. “The displacement centres are overcrowded, lack sanitation, food and privacy.”
The provincial government said temporary accommodation had been set up in old and new Campismo, the Ombaka National Stadium and various public and religious facilities. Volunteers, however, described the conditions as “inhumane”. “Bathrooms have no privacy or cleanliness, putting people’s health at risk, especially women,” said Maria do Carmo, who assists victims at the old Campismo site. “We ran out of charcoal for cooking on 1 May and food supplies were insufficient.”
Lawyer Estrela Francisco warned that the camps are unsuitable for prolonged stays and that aid distribution lacks transparency. Activist Tiago Ngana added that assistance has been uneven, with some families receiving only a bag of cement while others obtain more substantial support.
The floods also damaged critical infrastructure, destroying one bridge and heavily damaging another on National Road 260, further isolating affected communities. Satellite images taken on 13 April show entire neighbourhoods submerged, the dike collapsed at three points and two bridges over the river—one pedestrian and one railway—destroyed.
The disaster follows severe flooding in Luanda earlier in the month, underscoring a pattern of inadequate disaster preparedness and response across Angola. Human Rights Watch noted that Angola is a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the African Union’s Kampala Convention, all of which obligate the state to prevent foreseeable risks, protect the right to life and adequate housing, and provide nondiscriminatory assistance to internally displaced persons.
“Governments have an obligation not only to respond in an emergency but also to uphold their populations’ human rights,” Nhancale said. “The Angolan authorities should ensure immediate assistance, and they must be transparent and accountable for what went wrong.”
