Staff Reporter
IN a courtesy call with President Nangolo Mbumba, U.S. Ambassador Randy Berry announced that the United States, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), will provide an additional US$5 million (approximately N$90 million) in humanitarian assistance to support drought-affected populations in Namibia.
One hundred thousand U.S. dollars (approximately N$1.8 million) of this amount has been provided to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to conduct an assessment in districts most impacted by drought to identify communities in need of immediate nutrition assistance.
The El Niño-induced drought has contributed to deteriorating food security conditions across Namibia, driving negative impacts on crop and livestock production, food price shocks, and unemployment. El Niño is a climate phenomenon that occurs when the Pacific Ocean warms above average, causing irregular global weather patterns.
Tiffany Miller, U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Officer and Spokesperson, said that the latest Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) Report for Namibia projects that an estimated 1.4 million people – nearly 50 percent of the country’s population – will likely face high levels of acute food insecurity and require urgent food assistance at the expected peak of the lean season from September 2024 through March 2025.
“Coordinated in conjunction with the Office of the Prime Minister, the leading agency in mitigating Namibia’s drought crisis, the funding will support UNICEF to enhance nutrition services such as early detection and the treatment of wasting, one of the most severe forms of malnutrition, for nearly 24,500 women and children. Additionally, the funding will support the UN World Food Program (WFP) to provide food and nutrition assistance to more than 56,600 vulnerable individuals – primarily children and pregnant and breastfeeding women from indigenous communities – in Ohangwena, Omaheke, Oshikoto, and Otjozondjupa regions who are most impacted by food and nutrition insecurity,” Miller said.
She added that in May, USAID also supported the Ministry of Health and Social Services and UNICEF to procure and distribute 14 metric tons of Ready-To-Use Therapeutic Food to help at least 1,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.
“The donation forms part of an agreement between USAID and Chevron. As part of the agreement, Chevron has also committed US$300,000 (approximately N$5.5 million) for potable water rehabilitation and nutrition garden projects, and US$55,000 (approximately N$1 million) for emergency drought relief. As climate change increasingly exacerbates droughts, flooding, and inconsistent rainfall, contributing to food insecurity, the United States continues to support communities in Namibia and across Southern Africa by providing life-saving assistance to meet basic needs and build resilience,” Miller concluded.
