WINDHOEK, July 11 (Xinhua) -- About 1.4 million Namibians, representing about 45 percent of the population, are still facing food insecurity following a severe El Nino-induced drought that hit the country during the last farming season, Prime Minister Elijah Ngurare has said.
Ngurare told the parliament on Thursday that Namibia continues to experience an alarming increase in the frequency and intensity of climate-induced disasters, with the 2023/2024 drought the most severe one in the recent history of the country.
"The El Nino phenomenon and extremely below-normal rainfall recorded during the 2023/2024 agricultural season resulted in a widespread crop failure, depleted rangelands, and acute water shortage across all 14 regions," he said. "These adverse conditions have significantly affected the livelihoods of many Namibians and compromised the food security of over 384,935 households, equivalent to 1.4 million people."
Ngurare said a drought relief program worth 1.3 billion Namibian dollars (about 73.3 million U.S. dollars) approved by the cabinet, coupled with donations from the international community, is going a long way in improving the situation in the country.
The prime minister acknowledged that the implementation of the country's drought relief program is facing some challenges, leading to delays and a backlog of food distribution. He called for the continued mainstreaming of disaster risk reduction initiatives at all levels.
Ngurare, meanwhile, said Namibia would embark on various targeted resilience-building programs in collaboration with all line ministries and development partners to enhance food production through the drilling of boreholes, excavation of earth dams, and livelihood diversification. ■
