Tsumkwe Constituency Councillor Johannes Haufiku has called on the Office of the Prime Minister to combine the drought relief food aid and feeding programmes for marginalised communities in his area.

In an interview with nbc News, Haufiku says food parcels do not reach all intended beneficiaries, despite many households and individuals needing food aid.

According to Haufiku, households listed for the marginalised feeding programme receive food parcels quarterly but do not qualify for drought relief aid, which is distributed monthly through the constituency office. 

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.

Namibia took a significant step forward in disaster risk management with the official launch of the National Awareness and Communication Strategy for Disaster Risk Management, which will run from 2023 to 2027.

The strategy aims to address natural disasters and mitigate their effects in a timely manner.

The Office of the Prime Minister has announced the rollout of the comprehensive drought relief programme, providing food assistance and livestock support to affected subsistence farmers across all 14 regions.

The programme is in response to the findings of the Vulnerability Assessment and Analysis Report for 2023–2024, which reveal alarming findings.

According to the report, Namibia has been grappling with below-normal and sporadic rainfall, resulting in flash floods and dry spells that severely impact crop yields and livestock.

The African continent needs well-organised youth leaders to foster development for the future of its generations.

These were the words of Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila at the Pan-Afrikan Renaissance, the second Young Afrikans Leadership Summit (YALS), held in Windhoek on Friday.

Kuugongelwa-Amadhila says it is time that young Africans participate in decision-making and move to the forefront of Africa's economic development agenda.

The National Council started the committee stage of the Appropriation Bill for 2023/2024, discussing individual allocations to various ministries.

The allocation for the Office of the Prime Minister attracted significant attention from the MPs, who voiced concern that the amount was insufficient to aid drought-affected communities.

The National Council MPs made several suggestions with regard to the re-organization of government agencies, such as the separation of the Namibia Investment Promotion and Development Board from the Office of the President. 

The Chinese-owned Swakop Uranium Mine near Arandis has proposed a joint venture with the government to build a second seawater desalination plant at the coast.

The mine appealed to Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila for the government to accelerate its plan.

Over the past 10 years, the mining industry in the Erongo Region has been complaining about operation disruptions due to a shortage of water in the region.