Communities in Kayova Village within the Ndiyona Constituency in Kavango East celebrated a belated World Food Day.

The day aims to raise worldwide awareness and action for the elimination of hunger, food insecurity, and malnutrition.

Statistics from the Office of the Prime Minister's Drought Relief Programme reveal that 15,000 households in Kavango East are food insecure.

The governor of the Kavango East region, Bonifatius Wakudumo, talks about families who lost their loved ones in the region due to suspected food poisoning.

The Minister of Defence and Veterans Affairs, Frans Kapofi, says the deaths of 16 Shishugho family members should serve as a reminder to those deployed at grassroots levels to continuously access and inform the government to take appropriate action.

Kapofi expressed deep regret over the deaths of 16 people due to food insecurity.

Kapofi believes the disaster could have been avoided through various relief programmes had the government been notified of the dire situation the family was passing through.

The 16 deceased members of the Shishugho family were buried today at Kayova Village in Kavango East's Ndiyona Constituency.

A large number of mourners from the region and beyond gathered to pay their last respects.

At the memorial service on Friday, speaker after speaker described the incident as among the darkest in the country's history.

The Shishugho family, many of whom were children, tragically lost their lives in a matter of days after consuming a meal two weeks ago.

Two women died after consuming a concoction that would allegedly rid them of evil spirits and remove bad luck.

The Namibian police report that 27-year-old Shiremo Josefine Namutenya and 30-year-old Linyando Shikonga died after drinking traditional medicine in the Ndiyona Constituency, in the Kavango East Region.

The two deceased developed stomach aches and collapsed; one died at home and the other upon arrival at the local clinic.

Both complained of a runny stomach and vomiting.