At least 30 people have been killed and tens of thousands more have been affected after catastrophic flooding swept through Angola’s capital, Luanda, and the central coastal city of Benguela over the past week, in what officials are calling the deadliest flooding the country has seen in years.
The floods, triggered by days of relentless seasonal rains across the southwestern African nation, have destroyed thousands of homes, flooded large swaths of farmland, and left entire communities stranded without access to clean water or emergency services. The bulk of the destruction has been concentrated in Benguela province, where 23 deaths were recorded, while six more deaths were reported across Luanda and surrounding areas.
Thousands Displaced as Homes Are Swallowed by Floodwaters
According to the Angolan Civil Protection Service, more than 33,000 people have been directly affected by the floods, with over 6,700 homes inundated and at least 201 houses collapsing entirely. In the low-lying areas of Benguela, floodwaters reached heights of up to 1.5 metres in some neighbourhoods, submerging ground-floor rooms and sweeping away belongings within minutes.
“We lost everything in a single night,” said Maria João, a resident of the Boavista neighbourhood in Benguela. “The water came so fast we had no time to save anything. We are now sleeping in the streets with our children.”
Rescue teams, including members of the Angolan Red Cross and civil defence volunteers, have been working around the clock to evacuate families from the worst-hit districts. Military trucks have been deployed to assist with rescue operations, and emergency shelters have been set up in schools and community centres across the province.
Climate Experts Warn of Worsening Seasonal Patterns
The disaster has reignited concerns about Angola’s vulnerability to extreme weather events, which climate scientists say are becoming more frequent and intense due to rising global temperatures. The country’s inadequate urban drainage infrastructure, combined with widespread deforestation and the expansion of settlements into flood-prone zones, has left millions of Angolans dangerously exposed.
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has said it is closely monitoring the situation and stands ready to support national response efforts. International aid agencies are expected to launch an appeal for emergency funding in the coming days to help provide food, shelter, and medical supplies to those displaced by the floods.
Angola’s National Meteorological Institute has warned that more heavy rain is expected across the central and northern regions over the next two weeks, raising fears that the death toll could rise further if additional preventive measures are not put in place urgently.
Appeal for International Support
The Angolan government has issued a formal appeal for international humanitarian assistance as relief agencies warn that the country’s emergency response capacity is already under severe strain. Health officials have expressed particular concern about the risk of waterborne disease outbreaks, including cholera and typhoid, in the crowded temporary shelters.
As floodwaters slowly recede in some areas, the scale of the reconstruction challenge is becoming clear. Thousands of families will need temporary housing, food aid, and access to healthcare in the weeks ahead. The disaster serves as a stark reminder of the deadly consequences of under-investment in climate resilience infrastructure across Africa’s rapidly expanding urban centres.