The State of Emergency declared by President Hage Geingob last month, allows the assistance to those affected by the drought. The Prime Minister's Office announced, through the National Assembly Speaker, Peter Katjavivi, on the State of Emergency, as declared by the Head of State. The letter declaring the State of Emergency was issued on the 24th of last month. In the letter, President Geingob said Namibia experienced a national disaster, which required the declaration of an emergency, as per the Constitution. Presidential Affairs Minister Frans Kapofi told NBC News that the government had conducted an assessment of the drought situation countrywide. Kapofi said by declaring the State of Emergency allows co-ordination of assistance to the needy and other affected. The Government has been administering a drought relief programme, with an estimated 916-million dollars spent towards drought relief between April 2015 to March 2016. Namibia has been experiencing a persistent drought for the past three years.