Maria David
PRIME Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that the Namibian government has approved a nationwide drought relief program consisting of food assistance to vulnerable households, livestock support for farmers, and water provisions to drought-stricken communities.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila made these remarks during the official opening of the 9th session of the Africa Regional Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction on Tuesday.
According to Kuugongelwa-Amadhila, the cost of these interventions is estimated at over N$1.6 billion, with a funding gap of N$482 million, for which the government is appealing for assistance.
“Positive responses to our appeal for assistance have been received from development partners, for which we are grateful. Assistance comes in the form of cash donations, in-kind donations of food and equipment made directly to the government, and donations made through UN agencies,” she said.
She added that the food assistance under the drought relief program covers 373,276 households, translating to about 1.26 million people, representing 41% of the population.
Moreover, Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said that the government declared a State of National Disaster on Drought in May, following a crop assessment that confirmed a 53% decrease in national aggregated cereal production of white maize, sorghum, pearl millet, and wheat for 2024.
Additionally, she indicated that a 69.7% decrease in dam water levels was observed in March 2024, leading to a significant deterioration of household food security in various regions of the country.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila explained that disaster risk management would benefit from peer learning and leveraging innovations and technology.
In Namibia, she said that the government has begun digitizing beneficiary data and monetizing relief assistance through the introduction of voucher cards. These cards can be redeemed at contracted local businesses, primarily small enterprises.
She emphasized that the platform provides an opportunity to assess where resources are urgently needed and to discuss financing interventions to mitigate the short- and long-term impacts of disasters, while building resilience.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhila expressed satisfaction with the program’s focus on changing how money is invested to reduce disaster risks, emphasizing the roles of all stakeholders, including non-state actors.
In 2017, Namibia began the process of mainstreaming Disaster Risk Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation into development planning, aiming to break the cycle of disasters by integrating risk reduction measures across all sectors.
She said that as they advocate for disaster risk reduction interventions, it is crucial to place communities at the center, providing them with education to understand the risks and hazards they face, while ensuring that early warning systems are accessible to all members of their communities.
