50 000 in Oshikoto desperately hungry

Over 50 000 people in the Oshikoto region are currently facing severe food insecurity due to poor rainfall and low crop production recorded this year.

According to the 2023/24 Namibia vulnerability assessment and analysis report carried out by the Oshikoto Regional Council and the Office of the Prime Minister earlier this year, 25% of the region’s population is food insecure, as projected for the period from October 2023 to March 2024.

This is mainly attributed to poor rainfall recorded this year, which translates to about 54 000 people and 13 500 households in dire need of food as a result of drought.

Oshikoto Regional Council spokesperson Peter Nehale yesterday said the council had a regional disaster risk management committee meeting on Thursday, which brought together representatives of various sectors in the region to discuss measures introduced by the government to mitigate the effects of drought on the livelihoods of certain communities.

“As a region, we did not receive adequate rainfall this year, and as a result most of our communities are affected by drought,” he said.

Nehale said the drought has also worsened the already existing water shortage in the region, as well as food insecurity in many households.

“We [the council] are at the centre of implementing the drought-relief programme . . . which mainly targets the most needy and vulnerable members of our community,” he said.

He said the Oshikoto Regional Council, together with the subdivision: water supply and sanitation, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform will identify the best way to deal with the water issue.

Nehale said this is to ensure that communities, especially at rural constituencies such as Okankolo, Eengodi and Nehale Lya Mpingana have access to drinking water during the drought and beyond.

“This includes the rehabilitation and installation of boreholes or waterpoints in the region, the excavation and extension of short water pipeline, and the provision of water tanker services,” he said.

Nehale said drought-affected farmers in rural areas are dependent on subsistence farming.

To qualify for drought-relief food, affected households should not receive food relief from any sources, and targeted beneficiaries residing in one household should not be receiving a combined income of more than N$2 600 per month through government grants, Nehale said.

Oshikoto governor Penda ya Ndakolo says many residents are affected by the drought – especially farmers.

“Therefore, we need to make the necessary arrangements to save our livestock. We cannot deny that the region continues to face water scarcity challenges, especially in the deep rural areas where water pressure is low or salty.

“The region’s heatwave has worsened the current dry and arid conditions, putting further strain on the already existing water difficulties,” he says.

The executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister, I-Ben Nashandi, says the central government, through the Office of the Prime Minister, has made an amount of N$100 million available to be shared by all 14 regions to mitigate the water shortage in their respective regions.

He said the government would also roll out a drought-relief programme, including food distribution and livestock, to all 14 regions from 1 October to 31 June 2024 for food distribution, and from 1 October to 1 March next year for livestock support.

Nashandi recently said the number of people expected to experience high levels of food insecurity in Namibia would soon rise to 695 000.

A report by the World Food Programme (WFP) earlier this year revealed that an estimated 376 000 people in Namibia were experiencing a food crisis.

This represents 14% of the country’s population, with 6 000 of those people at emergency level.

The WFP’s acute food insecurity analysis, conducted between September and December 2022, found that the Kavango East, Kavango West, Kunene, Omaheke, and Oshikoto regions were at crisis level.

The government’s planned drought-relief programme is worth N$892 million.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.