UN appeals for US$5,8m for Namibian drought aid

THE United Nations World Food Programme expects food supplies to start arriving in Namibia within the next two weeks to start feeding 111 000 vulnerable children as part of the national drought relief programme.

Last week, the WFP and the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) launched an international appeal for US$5,8 million (about N$38,8 million) to assist Namibia in its drought relief programme. “This joint UN appeal will complement the Government’s efforts to cope with the drought and ensure that besides food, the health and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable are met,” said Mike Sackett, WFP’s Regional Director for southern Africa.The WFP plans to procure 8 000 tonnes of food to feed rural children in six regions: Kavango, Caprivi, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Omusati.WFP Officer in Charge in the country, Ronald Sibanda, told The Namibian on Friday that his organisation had already made the necessary preparations to start distributing aid.The programme will run until August.A recent UN mission to Namibia found that acute malnutrition in children under the age of five is as high as 15 per cent in the northern regions.Unicef regards this situation as a nutritional emergency and has appealed for US$616 000 (about N$4,1 million) to help the Ministry of Health and Social Services undertake Vitamin A distribution and improve nutritional surveillance.”The lingering threat of malnutrition means that this appeal must go beyond food aid,” Per Engebak, Regional Director of Unicef told the international community.”The Namibian Government is usually able to assist communities in need, but this current crisis exceeds the Government’s capacity to respond.”It has also pledged to help in providing insecticide treated bed nets to prevent malaria and to expand immunisation campaigns.The UN agencies note that because of the plight of HIV-AIDS very few adults are healthy enough to plough their fields.Increased adult mortality has also led to the steep rise in the number of orphans.At least 120 000 children have been orphaned in Namibia as a result of HIV-AIDS.Apart from the WFP, the Indian and Chinese governments have also pledged food assistance.About 1650 tonnes of rice from India has already arrived at the Walvis Bay harbour.India has pledged 5 000 tonnes each of wheat and rice, while 2 000 metric tonnes of yellow maize grain is awaited from China.Under Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, Gerson Tjihenuna, said on Friday that Government had not received any financial assistance to meet the N$76 million shortfall to carry out its drought programme since the Prime Minister’s appeal late last year.”We continue to drum up support with possible donors.We are fairly optimistic that we will meet the needs of the people,” he told The Namibian.Initially N$126 million was sought, but following an allocation through the Revised Budget and assistance in kind, the figure has been reduced.Tjihenuna said the Emergency Management Unit hoped to receive funds through the main Budget to be tabled in the coming weeks.”This joint UN appeal will complement the Government’s efforts to cope with the drought and ensure that besides food, the health and nutritional needs of the most vulnerable are met,” said Mike Sackett, WFP’s Regional Director for southern Africa.The WFP plans to procure 8 000 tonnes of food to feed rural children in six regions: Kavango, Caprivi, Oshana, Oshikoto, Ohangwena and Omusati.WFP Officer in Charge in the country, Ronald Sibanda, told The Namibian on Friday that his organisation had already made the necessary preparations to start distributing aid.The programme will run until August.A recent UN mission to Namibia found that acute malnutrition in children under the age of five is as high as 15 per cent in the northern regions.Unicef regards this situation as a nutritional emergency and has appealed for US$616 000 (about N$4,1 million) to help the Ministry of Health and Social Services undertake Vitamin A distribution and improve nutritional surveillance.”The lingering threat of malnutrition means that this appeal must go beyond food aid,” Per Engebak, Regional Director of Unicef told the international community.”The Namibian Government is usually able to assist communities in need, but this current crisis exceeds the Government’s capacity to respond.”It has also pledged to help in providing insecticide treated bed nets to prevent malaria and to expand immunisation campaigns.The UN agencies note that because of the plight of HIV-AIDS very few adults are healthy enough to plough their fields.Increased adult mortality has also led to the steep rise in the number of orphans.At least 120 000 children have been orphaned in Namibia as a result of HIV-AIDS.Apart from the WFP, the Indian and Chinese governments have also pledged food assistance.About 1650 tonnes of rice from India has already arrived at the Walvis Bay harbour.India has pledged 5 000 tonnes each of wheat and rice, while 2 000 metric tonnes of yellow maize grain is awaited from China.Under Secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, Gerson Tjihenuna, said on Friday that Government had not received any financial assistance to meet the N$76 million shortfall to carry out its drought programme since the Prime Minister’s appeal late last year.”We continue to drum up support with possible donors.We are fairly optimistic that we will meet the needs of the people,” he told The Namibian.Initially N$126 million was sought, but following an allocation through the Revised Budget and assistance in kind, the figure has been reduced.Tjihenuna said the Emergency Management Unit hoped to receive funds through the main Budget to be tabled in the coming weeks.