Police Commander for the Kavango West Region, Commissioner Julia Sakuwa-Neo, says the police have not reacted to transport requests for drought relief with the required urgency. 

The Kunene Region has resorted to hiring private transport for the distribution of drought relief in the region.

This was revealed by the Kunene Regional Governor, Marius Sheya, following concerns raised by Khorixas Constituency Councillor, Sebastian !Gobs, who last month indicated that the distribution programme is hampered by a lack of transportation.

The Kunene Region accounts for close to 30,000 people who have been affected by the prolonged and extreme drought since 2013, which has put a strain on food security and agricultural activities.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Water, and Land Reform, Anna Shiweda, said the Namibian government has officially declared a state of drought in Namibia.

She said measures are being put into motion to initiate a comprehensive drought relief programme aimed at assisting the vulnerable and affected communities residing in all 14 regions of the country.

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.

A severe drought is looming in the Otamanzi Constituency of the Omusati Region due to the poor rainfall received in the area this year.

The silos of many subsistence farmers are empty, and their only hope is drought-relief food for both humans and animals.

The devastating sight is evident as most mahangu crops have wilted, leaving no hope for any harvest in the area.

The crops have dried up at the infancy stage, leaving farmers distressed that all the money and efforts spent on production have gone to waste.

The farming community in the vicinity of Kaukurus in the Omaheke Region's Gobabis Constituency met to discuss developmental matters as an encouragement for the residents to take ownership of development in the region.

Gobabis Councillor Augustinius Tebele says his office wants to ensure that communities are involved in the regional development, and planning process and that everyone's input matters.