Namibia Rolls Out US$150 Million in Emergency Food Distribution

Namibia is going to spend US$150 million on emergency food distribution and social mitigation measures as the country’s rural poor buckle under rising prices of food and fuel compounded with the impact of drought and devastating floods.

The government, alarmed by the rate at which prices of basic commodities have shot through the roof, said that it has sketched a bold plan to roll out emergency food distribution to more than 500,000 people who have found themselves at the deep end of biting food shortages due to drought and devastating floods.

Namibian Prime Minister Nahas Angula said Thursday that the food security situation in Namibia is “dire”, adding that government had adopted an interventionist policy to ease the impact on vulnerable households.

The move comes as zero-rating of cooking oil, bread, beans and cake flour comes into effect on August 1.

This is in addition to a schools feeding program, which has been expanded to learners at non-boarding schools.

Analysts warn that rising food prices had become a short-fused time bomb and could lead to social uprisings.

Angula admitted that most people are finding it difficult to “pull through”, adding that a prolonged drought in 2007, followed by devastating floods early this year had resulted in most “households finding themselves in very difficult situations in as far as food security is concerned.”

Source African Press Agency

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