Kavango West regional leadership has called on the Disaster Risk Management Committee to look into the drought relief programme for livestock, as it disadvantages some communal farmers.

This leadership raised this during the visit of Deputy Prime Minister John Mutorwa to the region to familiarise himself with the drought relief programme on the regional level. 

The subsidy programme started last year in October, where the government would compensate 50% of the animal feed that the farmer purchases. 

The Deputy Prime Minister, John Mutorwa, is pleased with the drought relief food distribution in the Kavango West Region.

Mutorwa embarked on a visit to all 14 regions to assess the distribution of drought relief aid. 

The Kavango West Region has eight constituencies with more than 27,000 people registered for drought assistance.

Only 2,000 households are benefiting from the programme. 

Four privately owned trucks distribute the food aid from one warehouse in the Kavango West region.

The Office of the Prime Minister is expected to provide an update to the Cabinet on the drought relief programme next month.

This was confirmed by the Executive Director, I-Ben Nashandi, as Cabinet resumes in February.

The update to Cabinet would outline the progress and challenges in the implementation of the drought relief programme, barely four months after its roll-out.

The government initiated the programme late last year following a Livelihood Vulnerability Assessments and Analyses report that declared more than 600,000 households food insecure.

The Omaheke, ||Kharas, and Hardap regions will now benefit from the drought relief programme, effective from July 1st, 2023, to March 2024.

Currently, about 695,000 people are food insecure, and Deputy Prime Minister Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah appealed to officials to register only people who meet the criteria.

She said there are signs of people being registered when they do not qualify, a situation that might defeat the purpose.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has called on all citizens to cooperate with the drought relief programme implementing officers to ensure that the objectives of the programme are achieved.

The vulnerability assessment and analysis indicate that 695,000 people are in need of relief assistance.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says although the effects of drought are felt in all communities, targeted food assistance will be given to the neediest, who lack adequate coping measures.