The low rainfall experienced across the country has resulted in poor harvests and severe water shortages.
The Office of the Prime Minister is holding a two-day national platform to discuss the implementation of the 2024/2025 drought relief programme.
The drought relief programme distributes food, livestock support, seeds, horticulture aid, and water supply to affected communities.
|Khomas Governor Laura McLeod-Katjirua emphasised the program's main objective, which is to support those suffering due to the drought and serve as a powerful emergency intervention that ensures food security at household levels.
Prime Minister Sara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila noted that the drought has pushed approximately 1.1 million people into severe food insecurity between July and September this year.
"We have prepared ourselves to effectively respond to the challenge that we are faced with, which is drought, hunger, and food insecurity. We have costed our programmes and allocated resources towards the programme, and the shortfall on the budget that has been identified, we geared ourselves to provide additional funding under the medium-term review of the programme. We have reached out to our development partners to supplement the funding that we have, and the call we have made is generating a positive response to that. We have received donations as indicated in statements I have made and received pledges of donations to be made."
She stated that government welfare programmes are important in protecting people from poverty and hunger during emergencies.
She highlighted the need to prioritise those who cannot afford food, as they are at a greater risk of malnutrition, also placing emphasis on disaster response costs being huge and often taking money away from other important areas needed for economic growth and development.
"What we observed is that the vulnerability that is faced by our households is not only created by drought; it's also created by poverty and unemployment. While our assessments were based on what the harvests would be and how the drought has impacted the harvest, we note that there are more people needing assistance because of other factors."
The Director of Disaster Risk Management in the Office of the Prime Minister expressed concerns about negative headlines surrounding the drought relief programme, particularly issues of theft and lack of coordination in regional disaster management committees.