WINDHOEK. The Namibian government has set aside drought relief fund for 400,000 people affected by severe drought this year, officials said on Monday.
WINDHOEK. The Namibian government has set aside drought relief fund for 400,000 people affected by severe drought this year, officials said on Monday.This year Namibia did not receive enough rainfall and most farmers in all the country’s 13 regions called on the government to help with animal feed and food.The Disaster Risk Management Committee (DRMC) Chairperson, Frans Kapofi, who is also the Presidential Affairs minister, told the media in Windhoek Monday that the assessment established that 400,000 people are affected countrywide and that government has set aside 200 million Namibian dollars (217,000 U.S. Dollars) for drought relief.Kapofi said details on how the relief will be executed are yet to be worked out and that the Prime Minister’s Office under which the DRMC falls will issue out a statement soon.President Hifikepunye Pohamba early this year ordered Prime Minister Hage Geingob to carry out an assessment exercise to establish the number of people affected so that government can assist.Namibia’s rainy season usually begins around October and lasts until about March or April, varying throughout the country. Namibia’s rainy season usually begins around October and lasts until about March or April, varying throughout the country. But by end of April most parts of the country had not received half of their annual rainfall.