WALVIS BAY – Twenty-two trucks loaded with 1.4 million tins of pilchards worth N$11 million are on their way to Windhoek for distribution to drought victims across the nation.
The canned pilchards are designated for all drought victims through the Office of the Prime Minister. President Hifikepunye Pohamba on May 17 declared a national drought emergency due to the devastating drought that has already killed 4 000 large and small stock in the country and left many households vulnerable. The drought is described as the worst in the past 30 years. When declaring the drought Pohamba said people are facing a crisis of unprecedented proportions with more than 400 000 people in rural areas mainly affected following widespread crop failure due to poor rains or none at all.
The government budgeted N$200 million to deal with the drought emergency and the Russian Federation also airlifted various food worth N$10 million, in addition to donations from local instances and individuals, as well as China and many other friendly nations across the world following an international appeal by the president.
The Namibia-China Loving Heart Organisation donated over 30 tonnes of maize towards the national drought relief effort.
The 22 trucks were loaded at Etosha Fishing in Walvis Bay and departed for Windhoek yesterday already to ensure that the fish reach those in dire need as soon as possible. The Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources made the fish available through a smart partnership with two fishing companies, Erongo Marine Enterprises and Etosha Fishing.
The fisheries ministry allocated a horse-mackerel quota from its reserves of 4 300 tonnes to Erongo Marine Enterprises towards the drought relief effort. The horse-mackerel was sold to Etosha Fishing, while the proceeds were used to buy the fish canned by Etosha Fishing itself.
According to Minister of Fisheries and Marine Resources Bernard Esau the handing over of the fish to the ministry came about as a result of a special quota allocated to Erongo Marine Enterprises. “The allocation of the quota has resulted in a significant number of tinned fish that would be distributed among our people. The fish must be handed over to the right people and should not be stored in warehouses and offices. It must reach our people on the ground, the ones that are hardest hit by the drought,” Esau said yesterday.
He also called on the Office of the Prime Minister to ensure that the fish and other donated commodities are distributed as soon as possible. “Our people are starving, so do not delay the distribution by even a single day. We don’t want our people to die of hunger,” appealed the minister.
During the handover of the fish the Managing Director of Erongo Marine Enterprises Muetulamba Shingenge-Haipinge said she understood why Esau emphasised the need to reserve some quotas although the fishing industry was not happy or impressed with his decision at the time. “But your way of thinking and visionary management is a testimony of what we are witnessing today as we, the fishing industry, can now also assist and respond to government’s call for assistance during the current severe drought that is being experienced countrywide,” she said.
With the current drought said to be the worst in the past 30 years, the latest findings by the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry indicate that all communal crop-producing regions had extreme below average harvests, with the Omusati Region the hardest hit with a 69 percent below average crop yield and 59 percent below the last season’s harvest. The second hardest hit is the Ohangwena Region with an expected yield of 49 percent below average harvest, which is 31 percent lower than last season’s harvest. Over 3400 000 people in the rural areas have been classified as food insecure. The Kavango Region is home to many of those without food with over 80 000 people, followed by the Omusati Region (over 45 000) and the Oshikoto Region with 42 000 people affected.
Further findings by an Emergency Food Security Assessment indicate 30 percent of households have reduced their number of meals from two to three per day to one meal with 46 percent having moderate to poor dietary diversity.
Nampa also reported yesterday that three fishing companies donated 600 boxes of tinned fish to the Kunene Regional Council as part of their drought relief assistance. The three companies are ARK Fishing, Overberg Fishing and Cadilu Fishing, which donated tinned fish worth N$82 800.
Speaking at the handing-over ceremony, ARK Fishing’s Managing Director Matheus Joel Amadhila said on behalf of all three companies that other Namibian companies must also meet the government halfway in ensuring that no single Namibian starves during the drought.
By Eveline de Klerk