The Japanese Ambassador to Namibia, Shinichi Asazuma, has said his government means to introduce improvements to the Japan-funded commodity voucher programme. 

This follows a recent visit to communities in the Kunene Region to assess the drought effects and related challenges.

The programme was implemented to provide life-saving food assistance to well over 26,000 people severely affected by the El-Nino-induced drought in the Kunene and Ohangwena regions. 

According to a media statement, Ambassador Asazuma undertook visits to Queen Sofia Farm and De Riet Settlement for post-distribution monitoring and to assess the programme's impact.

The commodity voucher programme is part of the N$9.3 million contribution to the drought relief effort, from the Government of Japan.

Through the programme, beneficiaries access essential food items as immediate relief to drought effects on households.

Asazuma emphasised the importance of partnerships in addressing food insecurity, saying the programme has been a critical lifeline for many families.

The ambassador's delegation included the World Food Programme's acting Country Director for Namibia, Tiwonge Machiwenyika, and Kunene Governor Marius Sheya.

The WFP team collected feedback from the communities on how the programme can be improved, as well as insight into their ambitions for the future.

Since 2021, the Government of Japan has supported the WFP emergency response programme in Namibia.