While the hunger situation in the country has relatively improved, more than 1.1 million people in Namibia are still grappling with high levels of acute food insecurity.
This is driven primarily by rising food prices and the effects of the El Niño phenomenon.
This alarming situation is highlighted in the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) report, covering the period from July 2023 to June 2024.
Released last week, the report outlines that between July and September 2024, about 1.15 million people – representing 38% of the country’s population – were classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above, necessitating urgent humanitarian assistance to mitigate food consumption gaps and protect livelihoods.
Kunene region is notably the most affected, with 10% of its population in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency).
“This represents an improvement compared to the previous July 2023 analysis, where 1.44 million people (48%) were expected to face high levels of food insecurity during this same period,” the report states.
The analysis was conducted in three phases, with the first phase in October 2023, the second between April and June 2024, and the current phase from July to September 2024.
Despite slight improvements, the food security situation is expected to deteriorate during the upcoming lean season (October 2024-March 2025), affecting 1.26 million people (41%) due to anticipated seasonal price increases.
The IPC report attributes the ongoing crisis to several key factors, including climate shocks, particularly the impact of El Niño, which has led to erratic rainfall and prolonged drought, severely affecting crop and livestock production across all 14 regions.
Additionally, high food prices and unemployment rates, which currently stand at 33.4%, have exacerbated the situation, leaving many households unable to access sufficient food.
The report also highlights deteriorating livestock conditions, with some regions, such as Kunene, facing significant livestock deaths due to disease outbreaks and poor condition of pastures.
Water shortages are also a growing concern, with dam levels across the country significantly lower than they were at this time last year year.
The report indicates that the national food levels are critically low, with silos holding just 15% of their total capacity as of June 2024, further underscoring the severity of the crisis.
As Namibia faces a growing food insecurity crisis, the report outlined urgent measures to address food consumption gaps and protect the livelihoods of vulnerable populations.
The number of Namibians expected to experience food insecurity is projected to rise significantly, with more than 1.26 million people likely to be affected during the upcoming lean season.
Recommendations
Key recommendations to improve food availability include providing drought-resistant seeds and modern agricultural training to communal farmers, increasing capacity-building initiatives for agricultural extension officers, and expanding hydroponic fodder production across all regions.
The report also emphasises the need to monitor key factors such as staple commodity prices, inflation impacts, seasonal rainfall patterns, and the potential effects of La Niña to mitigate the crisis and ensure timely and effective humanitarian assistance.
Drought
The government declared national emergencies in 2013, 2016, 2019 and 2024 due to severe droughts that devastated the agriculture sector.
The 2019 drought, the worst in 100 years, resulted in livestock deaths, a significant drop in agricultural production, and widespread hunger as Namibians struggled to survive.
In May this year, President Nangolo Mbumba declared a state of emergency, and at the time, more than 300 000 households were already registered to receive drought relief.
The government has budgeted N$825 million for the programme to assist drought-stricken communities.
In May, Mbumba also made a passionate plea to the international community to donate food to Namibia amid a devastating drought.
“We have a drought situation, and we have declared an emergency. We appeal to all our friends throughout Africa, SADC and the world that we need some food. We need some help. We need some water. Those who can help us with money so that we can drill more boreholes will be most welcome,” he said at the time.
As the country continues to seek alternative ways to navigate the scourge, the ministry of environment has decided to cull 723 wild animals to feed starving people.
This cull includes 640 animals from five national parks, plus 83 elephants outside park boundaries where they get into conflict with people.