Global community pledges millions to Namibia for drought relief

Namibia has garnered N$1.5 million from the international and local community in aid of the country’s worst drought in 100 years.

Executive director in the Office of the Prime Minister I-Ben Nashandi has confirmed this.

“But [this] excludes the undisclosed value of items from the state of Qatar,” he says.

So far, the government has received various pledges, he says.

“The pledges have started to be notified . . . over N$128.9 million, again excluding three in-kind donations of which the value is not determined,” Nashandi says.

This sees the government filling its N$485-million gap for its drought relief programme with at least N$147 million in pledges and donations.
This amount excludes the value of assistance provided in goods or services.

The government has implemented a N$1.3 billion drought-relief programme, which includes N$829 million for food assistance, livestock support, seed and horticulture provision, water provision, as well as health and nutrition.

Food assistance alone will cost the country N$1 billion.

Information provided by the Office of the Prime Minister on Monday shows that donations and funds received total about N$10.2 million.

Locally, African Deli donated food items worth N$243 058, Undera Investments gave 360 bottles of 750ml of cooking oil worth N$10 800, while Deep Sea Consolidated Investments contributed six tonnes of salted dried fish totalling N$540 000.

The government says the donation made by Qatar has not been quantified yet.

Malaysia gave a cash donation of N$710 400.

Japan donated food items through the World Food Programme (WFP) worth about U$500 000 (about N$9.5 million). This is for vulnerable people, the sheet shows.

Namibian company EFG Drilling and Solar Pumps pledged to drill seven boreholes, the value of which is yet to be determined, the spreadsheet shows.

Internationally, Qatar made an additional pledge of 50 000 food parcels.

The United States has agreed to provide 30 pieces of borehole equipment, along with N$86.9 million in humanitarian assistance.

China committed N$24.6 million worth of rice, while Algeria promised N$17.3 million in a cash donation.

India has pledged 1 000t of yellow maize grain and 1 000t of rice of which the value is yet to be determined. Korea, through the WFP, has agreed to provide N$8.6 million in cash.

The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification estimates that 1.26 million Namibians are expected to be in phase three or above between October and March 2025, which refers to people in crisis and emergency situations.