The government says it will be spending N$892.4 million towards addressing hunger and mitigating the drought effect that is envisaged to ravage about 685,000 Namibians.
This is an increase after Minister of Finance and Public Enterprises Iipumbu Shiimi revealed in July that the Government spends around N$500 million on drought relief programmes, placing pressure on the fiscus.
“It is projected that during the period October 2023 to March 2024, the number of people expected to experience food insecurity would further rise to 695,000 people representing 26% of the population,†Prime Minister executive director I-Ben Nashandi said.
“With the anticipated El Niño, which is likely to affect us during the 2023/24 agricultural season, the situation in the country will be negatively affected due to more dry and limited rainfall, which could put food security in the country at risk.â€
Nashandi said between the months of July to September 2023, it was estimated that 579,000 people in Namibia are estimated to be facing high levels of acute food insecurity and requiring urgent humanitarian assistance.
“During the current period, most households do not have any food stocks, most having indicated stocks lasting less than one month and those who had stocks lasting between one to three months have already depleted their food stock. As a result, households have already experienced difficulties in purchasing food due to lack of income and high unemployment rates,” added Nashandi.
He made these revelations in the concluded Vulnerability, Assessment and Analysis Report, as well as the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Acute Food Insecurity Communication Report which was conducted between May and June.Â
“Government would like to reiterate the government’s commitment to ensuring that no Namibian citizen will die as a result of hunger due to the disasters,†he said.
“It is on this basis that the Government through the Office of the Prime Minister will roll out the drought relief programme to all affected subsistence farmers in rural areas in all the 14 regions, effective 01 October 2023 to June 2024, while livestock support programme will be implemented from 01 October 2023 to 31 March 2024,” Nashandi added.
The assistance will further include, water provision and livestock support such as marketing incentives, subsidies on the lease of grazing, subsidies on transport to grazing areas and subsidies on fodder purchased.
This will be done through the drought relief programme which consists of food relief distribution coordinated by the Office of the Prime Minister and implemented by regional councils across the country in all 14 regions.Â
Regional Councils would oversee and facilitate the identification and registration of beneficiaries at the village level.
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