Hundreds of thousands of people are at risk of malnutrition as Namibia suffers its worst drought in decades.
According to the United Nations, an estimated 780,000 people do not have access to sufficient, nutritious food. Over 100,000 children under the age of five are at risk of malnutrition.
The UN said that widespread crop failures, a result of a prolonged dry season, will slash the country’s harvest by 42 per cent this year.
All 13 regions in Namibia are affected by the drought. Fields that were once used for farming are arid. Up to 4,000 livestock have died.
The Namibian government declared a state of emergency on May 17, saying that 330,000 people are in urgent need of support. The government also earmarked $20 million in relief for the worst-hit regions.
Numerous aid organizations have launched appeals for help, including UNICEF, which is requesting US$7.4 million to fund its relief efforts.
Patrick McCormick, a spokesperson for UNICEF, told UN Radio that the organization efforts will focus on women and children, who are at a higher risk of worsening health and malnutrition.
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“We will be focusing on the prevention and treatment of malnutrition and disease, and protection risks and supporting children’s access to education. In Namibia, there are more than 778,000 people affected including 109,000 children under five at risk of malnutrition after almost three decades of low seasonal rainfall and a second year of failed rains in some locations,” said McCormick.
The drought does not end at Namibia’s borders. The UN reported that an estimated 1.5 million people are “food insecure” in southern Angola, which borders Namibia to the north.
McCormick said millions of children in Angola may be impacted by the prolonged drought that has caused the failure of 70 per cent of the country’s crops.
The head of the UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the situation in Namibia and Angola are part of a wider trend.
“There is a perception that southern Africa is a region that’s not often affected by disasters. It’s seen as homogenous or even low-risk,” said Ignacio Leon.
“But the reality is that, since 2000, there have been 47 emergencies in the region that have demanded international assistance. These crises have affected at least 14 million people,” he said.
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