The European Union has donated N$3.8 million for drought relief, which will assist around 140,000 Namibians with essential resources such as food, clean water, and financial assistance.
This is in response to the State of Emergency declared by President Nangolo Mbumba in May this year.
Over the past decade, Namibia has been facing the most severe drought, leading to widespread crop failure, water shortages, and loss of livestock.
The Namibian Red Cross Society has been put in charge of distributing EU assistance because of its community ties and successful track record in the regions most affected by the drought.
These include Kavango West, Kavango East, Zambezi, Omusati, Hardap, and Omaheke regions, among others.
Ambassador of the European Union to Namibia, Ana Beatriz Martins, stated that their goal is not only to address Namibia's immediate needs but also to help build resilience among communities facing severe food insecurity, water scarcity, and socio-economic disruptions.
"With this contribution, it is our intention to complement the Namibian governments own drought relief programme and other national fuel mechanisms that strengthen the countries emergency preparedness. These responses and humanitarian aid contributions to Namibia are part of our wider humanitarian efforts across the SADC region, where climate change is severely impacting lives and livelihoods."
Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila expressed gratitude to the European Union and stakeholders for their generous donation towards the Namibian drought relief programme.
"The impact on communities has been profound, with regions such as Kunene, which have been in a dire situation for several consecutive years, facing an eminent destruction of the agricultural production in that region. So we are actually thinking about different ways of farming in that region. Therefore, the support we are receiving today from the European Union will go a long way in alleviating the immediate hardship faced by the most affected and vulnerable communities and also to boost our resilience-building efforts, which is most important."
The government has allocated N$800 million to the programme but still faces a gap of around N$600 million.
Therefore, an appeal has been made to international communities to assist the country in its effort to help citizens most affected to overcome challenges they face due to the ongoing drought.