The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) reached 54,741 people in Namibia in May 2025 through its targeted food security interventions, but the agency requires an additional US$ 0.5 million (N$8.8m) to sustain operations through November.
The funding shortfall represents 16% of the WFP’s total six-month requirement of US$3.1 million. Without this, food voucher distributions, child feeding programmes, and food systems projects risk disruption.
In May, 20,640 people in Kunene, Hardap, and Ohangwena regions received commodity vouchers valued at N$550 per household.
The assistance was delivered through a network of 35 local retailers, part of a market-based approach to ensure local availability of food and stimulate community-level commerce.
“This retailer network, despite facing capacity constraints related to stock levels, has been instrumental in ensuring last-mile delivery,” the WFP stated in its May brief.
WFP also reached 25,585 children aged six months to 11 years through its supplementary wet feeding programme in five drought-affected regions.
The initiative provided meals three times per week at soup kitchens and child care centres, surpassing its initial target by over 10%.
“Implementation to date has recorded significant increase in the community needs for this intervention, demonstrating a 10% increase in the coverage compared to target,” the report noted.
According to the Catholic Aids Action (CAA) team working in Kavango East, early monitoring indicates positive nutritional outcomes among beneficiaries.
“Majority of children show positive progress on weight gain and MUAC compared to the recording done at the inception of feeding – the results show within three weeks of feeding,” CAA reported.
WFP continued its collaboration with national and regional authorities, including the Office of the Prime Minister’s Drought Relief Programme and the Ministry of Health and Social Services, which provided technical support for outreach and nutritional assessments.
To improve school-age nutrition, 12,038 children were supported under the Home-Grown School Feeding Programme. At Mbora Primary School, WFP implemented a school garden project supplying additional daily meals to 216 learners.
“This effort augments the existing mid-morning meal provided by the national school feeding programme with an additional nutritious afternoon meal,” the agency noted.
In Omusati, a Capricorn Foundation-funded food systems project supported 950 people through backyard gardens. A baseline assessment showed 77% of participants had acceptable food consumption scores, while 21% remained vulnerable.
WFP says its efforts aim to address both immediate food needs and long-term food system resilience, but continued support is necessary.
“Significant food insecurity, climate shocks, and inflation continue to drive demand for targeted support across Namibia,” WFP stated.
