Historic drought in Namibia – 1,4 million people in Namibia affected by acute food insecurity
Namibia is suffering from a historic drought this year. As one of the driest countries in sub-Saharan Africa, people struggle every year to find enough water and food. Historical, because not only densely populated cities like Windhoek are particularly affected, but also in rural areas the water reserves are barely sufficient. Because there has been significantly less rain, maize, which is produced exclusively with rainwater, could not be harvested and pastures also offer significantly less biomass as a food source for animals in a drought. This is a serious problem, as these conditions lead to food insecurity and economic difficulties for farmers.
The crisis has affected all 14 regions of the country, with grain production down 53% compared to last year and water levels in dams down 70%. Vital farmland has dried up and livestock are no longer able to find water, leading to their deaths.
According to recent analyses of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), approximately 1,4 million people, i.e. Almost half of the population is affected by acute food insecurity. This number has almost doubled since last year.
Through our soup kitchens we try the threat of malnutrition and regularly provide our steps children and, at two locations, external children with hot meals to ensure a healthy diet.