2015-08-11Staff Report 2 Windhoek Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah says Namibia is experiencing severe drought in all corners of the country affecting specifically poor households and the vulnerable. She said the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry conducted crop and vulnerability assessments in May and June to determine the impact of the drought. In brief, the situation looks bad. “About 580,000 people were found to be food-insecure and require assistance until March 2016. Hence, the government would appreciate support and contributions from partners,” she said while receiving donations from Namibre, RDS Fishery and Namib Mills yesterday at the warehouse of the Directorate Disaster Risk Management. Ndaitwah said due to the lingering effects of the drought of 2013 and this year, the country is experiencing high-levels of food shortages. She said this means food prices will increase, while poor households in rural areas who depend on subsistence farming will have little or no food. She further noted that 418,000 people in rural areas and disadvantaged rural communities started receiving government assistance from May this year. Although government has put in place measures to mitigate the impact of the drought, all Namibians, private companies and state-owned enterprises should assist, she said. Namibia National Reinsurance Corporation partnered with Namib Mills and three fishing companies to make a contribution of 967 bags of maize weighing 10 kg each. On top of the maize, dry fish companies Rio Fishing Company, Dorros Fishing Company and Starlite Fishing Company at Arandis (trading as RDS Fishing) donated 200 boxes of dried horse mackerel, weighing 5kg each, worth N$11,000. Namib Mills also donated 120 blankets to be distributed to affected people in the rural areas. 2015-08-11Staff Report 2
