Cabinet has directed the Office of the Prime Minister, through the respective regional councils, to provide food assistance to drought stricken households in the //Kharas, Hardap and Omaheke regions.

Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Peya Mushelenga announced this when he issued Cabinet decisions taken at the seventh decision-making meeting on Friday, saying the food assistance to these regions will be provided for a period of nine months from 01 July 2023 to 31 March 2024.

Funding for the assistance will come from the National Emergency Disaster Fund (NEDF).

Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to provide the drought-stricken regions with livestock support programmes at an estimated N.dollars 87.4 million for six months from 01 July 2023 to December 2023.

'Cabinet further directed the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform to consider the extension of the livestock support programme to Kunene, parts of Erongo and parts of Omusati regions,' he said.

The same ministry has also been directed to ensure regular maintenance and repair of boreholes, water points and provision of tanker services through water tankers in these regions.

According to Mushelenga, the Ministry of Gender Equality, Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare in consultation with the Ministry of Finance was directed to intensify the roll out of social welfare programmes in urban centres, among marginalised communities in the affected areas.

Cabinet further directed the ministry to assess the conditions of the Bakgalagadi communities in the Omaheke Region to determine if they qualify for assistance through marginalised programmes.

Cabinet also directed the Ministry of Health and Social Services to ensure the continuous issuance of ready-to-use supplementary food sachets to malnourished diagnosed cases, as well as water purification tablets in all regions.

Source: The Namibia Press Agency