Food aid reaches starving children

FOOD has begun flowing to thousands of orphans and vulnerable children in six regions, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare announced yesterday.

This follows a US$15,7 million agreement signed between Government and the World Food Programme (WFP) last month to help more than 111 000 children get much-needed nutrition. At least one in every ten children in the Kavango, Caprivi, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshana regions has lost one parent and children in these regions are identified as those most at risk of hunger and malnutrition.In a statement Gender Permanent Secretary Sirkka Ausiku said that the aim of the food relief was to assist those not currently benefiting from Government grants.It is the intention that the children who qualify will eventually be registered and transferred to the grant payment system to receive a monthly maintenance or foster-parent grant.Currently just over 45 000 children are registered for Government assistance.The distribution of food, which started in the Kavango last month and extended to the other five regions this month, will continue until December 2007.The Catholic Aids Action (CAA), Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) have been contracted to distribute the food.”I would like to call on all regional stakeholders for their continued support and cooperation to ensure that he food reaches the targeted beneficiaries and is used for the intended purposes,” Ausiku said.At least one in every ten children in the Kavango, Caprivi, Oshikoto, Ohangwena, Omusati and Oshana regions has lost one parent and children in these regions are identified as those most at risk of hunger and malnutrition.In a statement Gender Permanent Secretary Sirkka Ausiku said that the aim of the food relief was to assist those not currently benefiting from Government grants.It is the intention that the children who qualify will eventually be registered and transferred to the grant payment system to receive a monthly maintenance or foster-parent grant.Currently just over 45 000 children are registered for Government assistance.The distribution of food, which started in the Kavango last month and extended to the other five regions this month, will continue until December 2007.The Catholic Aids Action (CAA), Namibia Red Cross Society (NRCS) and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Namibia (ELCIN) have been contracted to distribute the food.”I would like to call on all regional stakeholders for their continued support and cooperation to ensure that he food reaches the targeted beneficiaries and is used for the intended purposes,” Ausiku said.