Recurrent drought and locust outbreaks continue to impact smallholder farmers with agriculture-based livelihoods, making them vulnerable to food insecurity and undernutrition.

While nearly 70% of the Namibian population depends on agriculture, the 021 Integrated Food Security Phase Classification report indicated that 26% of Namibia's population faces acute food insecurity.

30% of the population faced acute food insecurity during the period from December 2021 to March 2022. 

The National Democratic Party (NDP) is appealing to the government to declare the drought a state of emergency.

NDP President Martin Lukato said during a media briefing that the severe lack of rainfall has resulted in widespread crop failure, food shortages, and a dire lack of water for both people and animals.

President Nangolo Mbumba engaged traditional leaders of the eight northern traditional authorities at Oshakati this morning.

The aim was to familiarise himself with traditional leaders, inform them officially that he had taken office as Head of State, and seek their blessings.

Residents of Omutsegwonime village in the Oshikoto Region fear that the repeat of past years of drought will manifest again this year.

Though many ploughed well on time, crops have started to wilt because of a lack of rain.

The picture regarding crop fields in some parts of the northern regions looks bleak, and farmers are losing hope for a good harvest.

A worrying fact is that most households here are headed by either school-going children or unemployed youth, who rely on government social grants for their survival.

To date, the Omaheke Region has recorded below 100 mm of rainfall; hence, the farming communities, through the Office of the Governor, proposed that virgin lands be found with new boreholes.

Other suggestions are that water be piped to areas with better grazing, harvesting of grass, and cleaning of boreholes at critical localities in both communal and resettlement areas, among other urgent interventions.

This was revealed by the regional governor, Pijoo Nganate, in an interview with the nbc News team at Gobabis. 

Farmers at Okomungondo Village in the Omaheke Region have lost 100 heads of cattle due to drought.

The Vice Headman of Okomungondo, Tjipetekera Kamuhanga, told nbc News that this year's drought affected many households livelihoods.

He says farmers could also not sell their livestock because of the prices that have gone down.

The water shortage has also worsened the situation as existing water infrastructure has dilapidated.

As drought persists across the Kunene Region, Khorixas' constituency office is challenged by transport to deliver much-needed food aid to rural residents.

This was confirmed by Constituency Councillor Sebastian !Gobs in an interview with nbc News.

The persistent drought spell in the area has affected both humans and livestock, including harvesting and grazing pastures, as little or no rainfall has been received there for years.

Khorixas' five settlements have over 2,700 households affected and in need of drought food aid.

The implementation date for the livestock drought programme has been brought forward to July 1, 2023, instead of the initial October 1.

This was after Cabinet authorised the Office of the Prime Minister to consider a revision of the commencement date, subject to an assessment of the number of affected farmers and their financial implications.

In recent years, Namibians have felt and continue to feel the impact of drought.

While in some areas farmers have managed to harvest, the same cannot be said about others.

Drought relief assistance and livestock support programmes for thousands of vulnerable and affected communities and farmers in the Otjozondjupa Region will be distributed from the beginning of October until June 2024.

This was announced by the Otjozondjupa Regional Governor, James Uerikua, who says the council will monitor closely to ensure there is no wastage of food aid or communities not able to access the aid.

At the Gam Settlement, about 100 kilometres from Tsumkwe, community members flocked in large numbers to register for food and livestock assistance.

There is a shortfall of about N$600 million to implement the Namibian government's drought relief programme.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says the Disaster Risk Fund under her office only has about N$200 million, while the whole programme needs funding of up to N$800 million.