Drought, famine and epidemic among the Ankave-Anga of Gulf Province in 1997-98

摘要

The food supply and health of the people in some inland locations in Gulf Province were very severely affected by the drought in 1997. In February 1998, I visited the 1100 Ankave-Anga horticulturalists. My aim was to supplement the emergency food supplies they were receiving, especially in the Ikundi Valley. The government estimates that 105 people live in this area, but in fact 300 people live there. Rain fell in late 1997, by February the gardens were green and luxurious, but almost empty of food. However, the Ankave were confident that the gardens would carry food soon and they were no longer reluctant to harvest the small quantities that could be found. In consequence, the food shortages were over. Due to the isolation of the Ankave area and to the lack of health services, the death toll was extremely high in 1997. Malaria, and probably dysentery, killed 7 percent of the population in about a year, an extremely high death rate. The biggest epidemic took place after the food supplies had been brought into the area.