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Flood-ravaged Namibia faces serious food shortages

Windhoek, Namibia - Namibia’s Early Warning and Food Information Unit (NEWFIU) has painted a grim picture of Namibia’s 2008/2009 cereal output, saying overall food production is likely to go down by 23 per cent because of heavy rains and flooding. The NEWFIU said Thursday that the area under crop production had gone down by 14 per cent due to the heavy rains received in the country since January, mostly in the eastern and northern parts of the country. “Many fields in the Caprivi (eastern parts of the country), Omusati, Ohangwena, and Oshana (northern parts) regions are submerged and the situation for the north central regions was exacerbated by flooding from Angola,” said the NEWFIU in a report. The report said that crops in the north central farming regions struggled through germination due to waterlogged conditions, which resulted in yellow discolouration and stunted plant growth.

In the Omusati region for instance, hectarage under crop production is down by 30 per cent, Ohangweana 23 per cent, Oshikoto 23 per cent and Caprivi region ‘ 14 per cent.

A recent army worm outbreak in the northern parts has worsened the food situation in the country.

“Most households in the Caprivi region are reported to have depleted the cereal stocks since January and are now market dependent,” the NEWFIU said.

Namibian President Hifikepunye Pohamba two weeks ago declared the floods a national disaster and appealed for international help.

Ravaging floods in the northern parts of the country have rendered the area inaccessible.

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Windhoek - 13/03/2008

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