Angolan communities return to seasonal migration amid severe drought

Angola's rural communities are returning to seasonal migration due to a devastating drought, according to Amnesty International. The prolonged dry spell has driven people to seek water and food in neighboring Namibia, leaving many villages depopulated. Nghikembua, a resident of Cunene Province in southern Angola, told Amnesty International that nearly all the working-age individuals in his village had left, leaving behind only the elderly.

More than 1.8 million people reside in Cunene, with nearly 75% of the population living in rural areas and depending on pastoralism and subsistence farming. Victor Nyamori, an Amnesty International researcher, noted that southern Angola has endured repeated severe droughts, extreme heat, and environmental degradation for years, leading to water scarcity, crop failure, and livestock loss.

According to the Amnesty International report, approximately 30% of the region has been degraded by desertification, rendering many subsistence communities without livelihoods. While Namibia has faced drought as well, its government has taken more effective measures to prevent food insecurity and ensure access to water. Between 2023 and 2024, a severe El Niño event brought the worst drought in over a century to the region. In response, Namibia expanded its efforts to address the crisis.