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Testimonies from Angolans Facing the Current Nutritional Emergency

Interviews With Displaced People at the Transit Center in Kamacupa, Angola (May 3, 2002)

May 3, 2002

"We left Luando in March and went directly to Cuemba I camp. We stayed there for one month and when we saw there was nothing to eat, we decided to come to Kamacupa. We left Luando because there was nothing to eat at all - nothing to eat, no clothes, no food - and also because of the war we didn't grow any crops. We heard that in Kamacupa there were some camps and the displaced people are supplied with some food, that is why we come here to Kamacupa."

— 35 year old man from Luando

"I left Mossinde village to Andulo to make some business - to get something to eat, something to wear. After some days there I was recruited by UNITA soldiers to join the army. I was trained for a couple of months and after I saw we were suffering a lot, I decided to leave. I was looking for some people where I could live as a civilian, then I was living together with an old man. I left Andulo in 1999, together with this old man, when we heard that government soldiers were coming to besiege Andulo municipality. We decided to leave the area in the direction of Cuemba. I forgot exactly when we were attacked, but we were attacked by government soldiers at Luando. There were so many, all of us civilians, and that's where I got injured by a bullet [in his foot]. We left the bush when we heard they signed the cease-fire - there is no more war, there is peace now in Angola. We came to Kamacupa to get any help from the government because before we were not allowed to leave the bush. Because if you decided to go to town, you were stopped. You had to flee, to run away, otherwise you would be killed. I hope I can get some crutches. And I want to go to Mossinde to find my family so they will look after me."

— 19 year old from Kwanza Sul Province

"I am an old lady. I don't know exactly how old I am because my father didn't tell me exactly and now my father has died. I was born in Ringoma. I left in 1980 for Umpulo, where I was married. I am the mother of 6 children - 3 are dead and 3 are living. We fled into the bush the first time we were attacked. Then we gathered and the whole family was living together. The second time we were attacked, we were separated - my husband was fleeing alone, me alone, the children also alone. I was lost in the bush alone. I could follow the group to Kwanza later on. We took almost seven days from Ringoma to here - almost seven days just walking, sleeping, walking, sleeping, without food. I don't have food yet. I'm waiting for them to give me a WFP card. My desire is to build a small house where I can live. Where, I don't know. Wherever they direct me I will build my house."

— A woman from Ringoma

"My name is Rosalie and I was born in 1988. We came here because of hunger. We walked one day and we didn't have any problems during our travel. We are four - 3 children and my mother. My father died. We don't have food yet [from the WFP] but we are eating some food that we brought with us from our village."

— Young girl from Tchikala-Tcholohanga

My name is Mario. I don't know how old I am. We left Cuemba because of hunger. We walked for three days from Cuemba to Kamacupa. It was tough. For the future, I want to attend school. We were not attending school in Cuemba because there were no teachers. They were witched by witchcraft."

— Young boy from Cuemba

"My name is Matteus. We came to Kamacupa from Cacunda because we were suffering a lot. Now we are receiving food. Before the war, life was very nice because we were growing crops, and with these crops we could barter and buy some clothes, some soap - whatever we wanted to buy with maize, for example, or some manioc, or some nuts. Life was good because we were growing crops. During the war it was difficult because we could try to cultivate, but after some days we would be attacked and would have to flee into the bush. When we returned to the village, we would find everything was stolen. Life was so difficult.

"Now, there is no more war, but there's still hunger in the villages. Here we are depending on the government. The government will say, 'OK. Now you can go back to your villages.' But we have to get some food or otherwise we will die by hunger. There are no seeds for agriculture, no seeds at all. We see some life improvement and we hope that life will be better because Savimbi died and there is no more war. We are depending on the government to say, 'OK. Here are some seeds. You can go back and plant your fields.'"

— 70 year old man from Cacunda

Interviews at MSF Center in Bunjei (May 11, 2002)

"My name is Domingos and I am 47 years old. I was a catechist in the Evangelical church. My wife and I have 8 children - 4 have died in the last month. My son died 2 days ago on the way from Vicungo to here [Bunjei]. My wife and two children just left for Caala [in an MSF truck] because they are sick. I will stay here with the other two.

"In January, we fled Chicengo into the forest because we were attacked by troops from both sides nearly everyday. They stole all of our clothes, so we had nothing. They left us naked.

"We came to Bunjei January 29th, but we only stayed a few days. People were dying all the time - maybe 40 or 50 everyday - and everyone was sick. My children started getting sicker so we left for Vicungo with about 2,000 others, I think. The army brought us there.

"I wanted to take my children to the hospital in Kuito, but we couldn't leave Vicungo. UNITA soldiers were all around the area. We tried to go once, but they [UNITA soldiers] beat my son with a machete - on the head and chest. We didn't try to leave again after that.

"A lot of sick people are still in Vicungo - 8 or 9 or 10 die of hunger everyday. To eat, there is only mandioca and sweet potato leaves, but it is not enough. Some people came to tell us, "Come to Bunjei. There is a hospital and they are curing the children in Caala." Only those of us with enough energy to walk were able to leave. Many are too weak to move. But those who can are on their way.

"No troops were on the road, so there were no attacks like before. Thirteen of us - adults and children - walked for four days, sleeping in the forest. My son died Thursday.

"Another group from Vicungo arrived before us. They have already been sent to Caala. Maybe 4,000 people are left, but I'm not sure. It's impossible to travel the whole way by truck because the bridge over the Cubango [river] is out. Locals have built a footbridge - the river isn't very wide but the current is strong. The river is only two hours from Vicungo, though, so we had to walk the rest of the way."

— 47 year-old man from Vicungo

"My name is Cecilia. I was born in Cuche. I am married and my husband stayed in the military camp at Galange. I came here with 3 children, but they are not suffering from hunger. They are just sick.

"The doctor gave us drugs and now I am waiting for them to be cured before returning to Galange. I have two other sons in Galange who are OK. There, there are no drugs, so we came here. People told us that here in Bunjei we would find help.

"Before arriving in Galange in early May, we were at the UNITA Base in Chingenjo (a 2 day walk from Galange). It was war every day there, but we had food.

"A lot of people are living in Galange, and many of them are sick - with anemia and diarrhea, fever and scabies. When we arrived, there were already a lot of people. They were coming from different UNITA bases. People are dying of hunger and disease in Galange. And those who try to go onto farmed lands to find food are beaten by the farmers! They wait for us and when we come, they try to kill us. Before, we could go everywhere, and take any farmer's crops. No now we cannot do that anymore, so we are hungry.

"When we arrived in Galange, the government gave us 1 kg of rice, some vegetable oil, some salt and soap, and some fish, and that's it. For 10 days, for each family. This is the only food we have.

"Now, I think nobody is left in the forest, everybody is gone. All the people around went into Galange. We are not prisoners there, we can go out, men can come here to Bunjei to bring the children. After, they return to Galange.

"Not everybody has come to Bunjei, because people are not really sure there is help here. But those who are able will come. Some parents are sick, so they can't bring their children. You have to go there and take them.

"In Chingenjo, it was war. We were always running away, without clothes, no blankets. I have nothing left. It was like this everyday.

"I grew old in the war, always on military bases, but I was never caught by the government. They just stole everything I had.

"My parents were not soldiers, but farmers. I was captured by UNITA in Menonge when I was 10 years old. Together with my sister, but she stayed in Menonge. After 2 years, I was married - I was 12 - and I had my first child. Now she is 18. 5 of my children are alive. Only one died from disease when he was 2 years old, and that was a long time ago.

"In Chingenjo, everybody had some land to plant, but last year, because of war, the crop was not good. Now, we are waiting for humanitarian help. We need seeds to start again. Since there is peace, people do not die from war. But now they die from hunger and disease. We do not have enough to eat."

— 30 year-old woman coming from Galange

 

Tags: Angola

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