Benguela: President Joo Louren§o inspected on Wednesday the emergency works to replace the containment dike on the left bank of the Cavaco River in Benguela municipality. The aim is to minimize the risk of further flooding, particularly in neighborhoods adjacent to the riverbed.

According to Angola Press News Agency, the works began on Monday in the Seta Antiga neighbourhood, which is considered the epicenter of the floods that devastated the city of Benguela and its surroundings on Sunday after about 300 meters of the dike on the left bank of the Cavaco River broke.

These unprecedented floods have caused 18 deaths and left 11 people missing. Approximately 20,000 people have been displaced, primarily from the Seta, Ilha, Calomanga, Condule, Cotel, Calomburaco, Santa Teresa, Compo, Massangarala, Quioxe, and Tchipiandalo neighborhoods.

President Joo Louren§o received a detailed briefing from the Minister of Public Works, Urban Planning and Housing, Carlos Alberto dos Santos, on the impact of the emergency work to repair the collapsed embankment. The authorities' current goal is to completely restore the dike within a few days to prevent overflowing of the river in the event of increased flow, while rains continue to fall in the province's interior.

In addition to the current focus, emergency works should extend to other critical areas already identified, such as the embankment on the right bank, which could lead to flooding in riverside neighborhoods. Before assessing the progress of the embankment works overseen by Dar company, Joo Louren§o visited the temporary shelter in the new camping area, where more than 4,000 families have been resettled.

While there, the Head of State was briefed on the living conditions of those affected, as well as the process of finding children who went missing during the floods. This was carried out by the National Institute for Children (INAC), with support from the Angolan Red Cross.

Intermittent flooding of the Cavaco River is not a new phenomenon. Historical records indicate major floods in 1979, 1983, 2002, and 2015, which resulted in the destruction of homes and agricultural land and caused fatalities. The 2002 flood was one of the most severe and caused the collapse of the bridge over the river, destroying hundreds of homes on the outskirts of Benguela.

In March 2015, heavy rainfall caused the deaths of at least 12 people and left hundreds of families homeless. On that occasion, the overflowing river flooded residential neighborhoods, swept away vehicles, and damaged road infrastructure. More recently, in late March 2026, flooding displaced over 100 families in the Tchipiandalo neighbourhood and destroyed several homes, demonstrating that the risk remains high in urbanized areas near the riverbed.

Experts warn that risk factors such as disorderly occupation of the riverbanks, silting of the riverbed, and inadequate drainage aggravate the impact of floods.