10 000 residents in need of food at Epupa

Epupa constituency councillor Kuuoko Tjimutambo said there will be no harvest in his constituency this year as the crops have wilted, while some parts of the constituency such as Etanga have not received rainfall at all.

According to him, about 10 000 residents of the constituency are in need of food.

“It’s not only people who need food, animals too. Some people have started moving their animals to the Opuwo area where there is better grazing but by June or July, there would be no grass on the ground,” he said.

Meanwhile, 15 cases of malnutrition have been reported in the Omusati region this year, Okalongo constituency councillor Laurentius Iipinge said in the National Council on Wednesday.

“We have nine cases in Oshikuku districts, four cases at Outapi and two cases at Okahao. Members of the communities, including myself, assist these vulnerable individuals from our own pockets and every two days someone seeks for food at my office,” he said.

He said many people from different constituencies in the region visit councillors’ offices in search of food.

Iipinge said the number of people doing so keeps increasing on a daily basis and the government should intervene to remedy the situation.

According to Iipinge, a list of hungry people in the region has been forwarded to the relevant offices but the process is slow, all while people remain hungry.

“The government should consider drought relief food as an urgent measure.“

He said the national budget tabled by finance minister Iipumbu Shiimi in the National Assembly earlier this year should make provision for drought relief food.

“A little budget at the constituency offices assists somebody who is in a critical situation,” he said.
“Without a budget and food for distribution, it has really become urgent that we look at ways and means that help us better manage what I foresee to be a dire and vulnerable situation.

However, Omusati governor Erginus Endjala said he was not aware of any malnutrition reported in the region.