A young Angolan woman. © CARE / Evelyn Hockstein.
CARE began working in Angola in 1989, when the country was in the middle of a civil war.
An estimated 1.5 million people were killed in the conflict and more than 2 million people were forced to leave their homes.
A ceasefire agreement in 2002 brought Angola’s civil war to an end, but 27 years of conflict has left a long-term legacy of poverty.
Landmines
Perhaps the most sinister remains of the civil war in Angola are the many landmines that litter the countryside.
Over half a million landmines and an additional 2 million unexploded devices are thought to remain buried throughout Angola, making farming dangerous and leaving large tracts of farmland unusable.
CARE is tackling the problem of landmines by teaching communities about the dangers posed by mines and identifying minefields so that they can be cleared.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction
Our work in Angola has evolved from mostly emergency activities to longer term rehabilitation and reconstruction work.
CARE International leads a joint programme carried out by of five development and relief organisations which helps people returning to villages.
People who have just returned to their homes are given food, while cash-for–work programmes help them get back on their feet. Farmers are given seeds and tools to enable them to feed their families in the following year.
