Namibians face acute food insecurity

Gaborone - More than 700 000 Namibians are facing acute food insecurity amid mounting livestock deaths due to the widespread shortage of water and pasture following three successive years of drought, a new government-led vulnerability survey has revealed.

In its “Namibia Rural Food Security and Livelihood Vulnerability Forecast” report for 2016/17 released this week, the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture said of the 729 134 people facing food insecurity, 595 839 need immediate food assistance.

According to the report, more than 50 percent of those in urgent need of drought relief food assistance were from the regions of Omusati (110 388), Ohangwena (101 741), Oshikoto (76 903), Oshana (49 150), Kavango West (47 989) and Kavango East (44 107).

The hardest-hit areas include the Zambezi and Kavango East and Kavango West regions where maize production has dropped by 91%. The report also noted that nearly 300,000 cattle have succumbed to the drought, especially in the north of the country.

However, the survey does not include the number of goats, sheep and donkeys which have also died in large numbers as rivers, dams and boreholes have dried up. Milk production has dropped by more than half across all the national livestock producing zones.

Due to subdued farm production and depleted livestock herds, more than 80 percent of farm workers have lost employment while prices of staple food have spiked.

Further, the report said government needs at least N$655 million to fund water and food relief programmes until the 2017/18 financial year.

The report shows that the number of food insecure Namibians has doubled, up from the 370 000 people confirmed as vulnerable across the country in 2015.

AFRICAN NEWS AGENCY