Kavango drought aid distribution continues as figures are verified

THE distribution of drought relief food is underway in two more constituencies of the Kavango Region.

The process stalled last month after questionable data on the number of people in need of aid was submitted to the drought relief office. The region’s Chief Control Officer, Ambrosius Makongwa, said at the end of last week that beneficiaries in the Rundu Rural and Mashare constituencies were now receiving aid.Last month the distribution of food started in the Ndiyona and Kapako constituencies, where there appeared to be no major discrepancies in the paperwork listing the beneficiaries.The Kavango Regional Emergency Management Unit (REMU) decided to verify all the information submitted, which stipulated that 52 000 households were in need of aid, while carrying out the distribution of food.This number, he said, could increase or decrease as distribution officials determined the legitimacy of applicants.Makongwa told The Namibian that officials were slowly making their way through the area, so that by the end of this round they would have acquired accurate figures on beneficiaries.He said they expected to finish distribution to the Rundu Rural and Mashare constituencies by the end of this month, but that this depended on transport reliability.He said distribution officials were experiencing regular breakdowns with the ageing trucks they were using.The Mukwe, Kahenge and Mpungu constituencies are still waiting to receive their share of drought food aid.Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) Gabriel Kangowa told The Namibian that, besides the Kavango Region, the Caprivi was verifying information on beneficiaries, before beginning another round of food distribution.Having been the first region to distribute food aid, discrepancies related to people registered as beneficiaries came to light during the deliveries.Kangowa said not all the categories for eligibility were clear-cut and that there were instances in which able-bodied people capable of participating in Cash- and Food-for-Work programmes were registered as vulnerable.He said the REMU was now reprocessing the lists of beneficiaries to eliminate those deemed ineligible.The region has already completed one round of food distribution in six of its eligible constituencies.Local committees and traditional leaders assist regional councillors in registering people for their constituencies, but Kangowa said distribution officials commonly removed some people’s names from the list while identifying and re-registering others along the way.The region’s Chief Control Officer, Ambrosius Makongwa, said at the end of last week that beneficiaries in the Rundu Rural and Mashare constituencies were now receiving aid. Last month the distribution of food started in the Ndiyona and Kapako constituencies, where there appeared to be no major discrepancies in the paperwork listing the beneficiaries. The Kavango Regional Emergency Management Unit (REMU) decided to verify all the information submitted, which stipulated that 52 000 households were in need of aid, while carrying out the distribution of food. This number, he said, could increase or decrease as distribution officials determined the legitimacy of applicants. Makongwa told The Namibian that officials were slowly making their way through the area, so that by the end of this round they would have acquired accurate figures on beneficiaries. He said they expected to finish distribution to the Rundu Rural and Mashare constituencies by the end of this month, but that this depended on transport reliability. He said distribution officials were experiencing regular breakdowns with the ageing trucks they were using. The Mukwe, Kahenge and Mpungu constituencies are still waiting to receive their share of drought food aid. Deputy Director of the Emergency Management Unit (EMU) Gabriel Kangowa told The Namibian that, besides the Kavango Region, the Caprivi was verifying information on beneficiaries, before beginning another round of food distribution. Having been the first region to distribute food aid, discrepancies related to people registered as beneficiaries came to light during the deliveries. Kangowa said not all the categories for eligibility were clear-cut and that there were instances in which able-bodied people capable of participating in Cash- and Food-for-Work programmes were registered as vulnerable. He said the REMU was now reprocessing the lists of beneficiaries to eliminate those deemed ineligible.The region has already completed one round of food distribution in six of its eligible constituencies. Local committees and traditional leaders assist regional councillors in registering people for their constituencies, but Kangowa said distribution officials commonly removed some people’s names from the list while identifying and re-registering others along the way.