On this day in history: 523 die in Anglo Boer War black concentration camps
On 30 May 1902, 523 people died in the black concentration camps of the second Anglo Boer War.
On 11 October 1899 war was officially declared between Britain and the Boers. In March 1901 Lord Kitchener, the commander of the British forces, decided to cut off the Boers supply of food. He initiated the “scorched earth” policy because the Boers were being supported by farmers. About 30 000 Boer farmhouses were burnt down and more than 40 towns were down and livestock was killed.
Boer women, children and black people were put into separate concentration camps. Towards the end of the war approximately 116 000 boer women and children were housed in concentration camps, with camps housing approximately 115 000 black people. On 20 May 1902, 523 black people were recorded as dead in the concentration camps. These camps were overcrowded, the captives underfed and the conditions poor.
There were limited medical supplies and diseases such as measles, whooping cough, typhoid fever, diphtheria and dysentery resulted in the death of 1 in every 5 people. 26 370 Boer women and children died in the concentration camps and it is estimated that more than 15 000 black people died in the separate black concentration camps. 81 percent of the total fatalities in the camps were children.
Source: SA History
