Omaheke hunger worrisome, says LPM’s Mootu

Landless People’s Movement (LPM) chief whip Utaara Mootu says the hunger situation in the Omaheke region is concerning.

Mootu said this in an interview with The Namibian on Monday.

This follows after Omaheke governor Pijoo Nganate said the region recorded 30 219 malnutrition cases and more than 800 deaths in two financial years.

Nganate highlighted Omaheke’s malnutrition statistics during his state of the region address on Monday.

Nganate said 14 774 new instances of malnutrition were recorded in Omaheke during the 2022/2023 financial year, followed by 15 445 new malnutrition cases during the 2023/24 financial year.

Nganate cited figures showed there were 554 malnutrition deaths in Omaheke in the 2022/2023 financial year. The following year, there were 318 deaths.

Mootu said: “The increase of malnutrition over a short period of time signals a severe public health crisis. A malnutrition rate that has increased from 3,74% to 4,9% is alarming, especially considering the socioeconomic and health impacts that malnutrition has on individuals and communities.”

Mootu said this is an indication of worsening food security and inadequate access to essential nutritional resources.

Mootu said the increase in malnutrition highlights a systematic problem.

She said the government should focus on enhancing food security programmes to provide vulnerable populations with access to nutritious food.

“This includes agricultural support, improved food distribution systems and enhanced school feeding programmes,” said Mootu.

Read more in tomorrow’s edition of The Namibian.