WINDHOEK – To date government through the Disaster Risk Management Unit in the Office of the Prime Minister has distributed over one million 12,5kg bags of maize meal to needy communities and households countrywide.
Japhet Itenge, the Director of Disaster Risk Management, on Tuesday said the first round which was the interim phase of the massive distribution exercise started in March and ended in July whereby 40 000 bags of 12,5 kg each of maize meal were distributed to each region. The combined 500 000 bags of 12,5 kg maize meal, translates into 6 250 tonnes of maize meal distributed countrywide. During the second round that started in August, Itenge said government distributed 60 000 bags to the regions with larger rural populations. “Other regions with a smaller number were allocated food depending on their rural populations,” Itenge explained. He further revealed that the total number of bags distributed in the month of August under the main drought relief programme is 559 000 bags of 12,5 kg of maize meal, which is equivalent to 6 987,5 tonnes.
However, it means the total number of bags distributed under the two programmes (the interim and the main one) is 1,059 million bags of 12,5 kg of maize meal. “This is the food government has procured from suppliers locally, although we have different sources from where we get food,” he explained. He also dispelled the public perception that the food, especially that which has been donated by the international community is being stored in some warehouse and is rotting’while people are starving. “The donations are given to the Office of the Prime Minister and are temporarily kept at a warehouse in Prosperita. We receive the food and store it and later distribute it. In our vocabulary, we do not have words such as food rotting in the warehouse,” he stressed. Regarding complaints over the slow pace of the drought relief food distribution, Itenge said food is being distributed by the regional councils. “What we are doing at national level is to ensure that food is allocated accordingly.”
Moreover, he urged all church and traditional leaders to ensure that no drought relief food is stolen during the distribution process. “This is a call from government. Therefore, everyone is responsible that no theft of drought relief food happens. If it happens such incidents should be reported immediately to the relevant authorities,” Itenge said. He also expressed relief that no theft or resale of drought relief food has been reported so far. The food is distributed on a monthly basis and government determines how much to allocate per household.
Government provides one bag of 12,5kg maize meal per person per month. “Guidelines given to regions is that if a house has up to six people, they only get the maximum set of six bags per household. We are also giving relish of four tins per household per month. Should there be other items such as meat, it will be distributed depending on the quantities,” Itenge said.