Now the War is Over, Thousands are Returning Home Daily
Now the war in Angola is over thousands of people are returning from camps in bordering countries. 1500 people are returning from Zambia every day. Mines were widely used for nearly 30 years, making Angola one of the most mined countries in the world.
MAG's mine awareness staff have been working with people returning to their destroyed villages but as they try to rebuild their lives they are often forced to take risks in order to survive. MAG's mine action capacity has dramatically increased over the last two years to assist the returnees and help them to safely build a future.
Kassangili village in a remote district of Moxico province in eastern Angola is a typical example of the situation facing returnees.
Kassangili was completely abandoned and left to ruin as a result of war. Heavy conflict between Government forces and UNITA rebels resulted in many areas being heavily mined and contaminated with UXO. Mine-laying was a tactic favoured by both sides (generally the case throughout Angola), often employing the use of booby traps and other improvised explosive devices. In order to escape the immediate threat of war, the local civilian population sought safety by travelling over the border into Zambia, to join the many thousands of fellow refugees already displaced by the ongoing war.
Kassangili is now a village re-born. The people are returning and there is now a future for the village.
MAG is working closely with Medair and UNHCR who are organising the repatriation from neighbouring Zambia. MAG is providing mine risk education to people as they pass through a local transit centre, identifying and marking off mined areas, clearing high priority areas for resettlement and destroying unexploded ordnance.
Access to water is a constant risk to the people, particularly children, who are often seen transporting jugs or buckets of water from the nearest river source, their route taking them through potentially suspect areas, despite the warnings.
The construction of safely accessible wells is therefore vitally important, not only as a cleaner water but to eliminate the risk of encountering mines or UXO while collecting the water.
Deminers cleared the first well site in Kassangili within a week (see photo), allowing re-construction of the new well to begin sooner than originally expected. Prior to the re-construction a formal handover of the cleared area took place involving MAG, Medair and Oxfam (who are construction partners with Medair).
MAG is conducting life saving tasks like this every day in Moxico province. Before people can safely rebuild their lives the land they need has to be made safe from landmines and unexploded ordnance. Your support is helping us to make all the difference to these people. Further funds are needed to expand this essential work. Thank you.
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