The Office of the Prime Minister has asked the National Assembly to extend the State of Emergency to 5 March 2020.
President Hage Geingob declared the State of Emergency: National Disaster (Drought) on 6 May 2019 until 6 October 2019.
The motivation was made Wednesday by Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila because of the continued drought period.
“The need to extend the period of State of Emergency: National Disaster on account of drought is necessitated by the prolonged drought that continues to affect negatively the livelihood of the people and the livestock. By extending the period, the Government will also continue to expedite the relief efforts to the affected communities,” the prime minister said.
Kuugongelwa-Amadhola also told the National Assembly that N$131 million has been spent and committed toward drought relief expenses.
According to Kugongelwa-Amadhila, food provision got N$57.9 million; logistics, N$18.9 million; water provision, N$37.5 million; and livestock support, N$16.6 million.
The Prime Minister broke down the distribution as follows:
Food provision is provided to all needy households who meet the criteria of income threshold of not more than N$2,600 per month per household. For the months June to August 2019, the total number of beneficiaries was 42,000 households.
Following the identification and registration by the Regional Council, the number of household beneficiaries increased to 172,938, up from an initial 42,000 at the inception of the programme.
From September 2019, food provision is distributed to cater for the new number of beneficiaries. The food items provided consist of 12.5kg maize meal (or mahangu grains), 750 ml of cooking oil and 4 tins of 440kg fish.
Water provision includes water tanks services to remote areas and installation and rehabilitation of water points/ boreholes and extension of water pipelines. The funds for water provisions amounting to N$37.5 million were transferred to various Regional Council to ensure speedy implementation. A total of 139 boreholes and water points are in the process of being rehabilitated, and the progress varies from Region to Region.
The Livestock Support programmes being implemented consist of the following:-
- Free fodder is distributed to needy farmers whose income threshold is below N$2,600 per month and whose livestock numbers are below 25 plus bull large livestock units. To date, a total of 62,038 bales of 20kg feeds were distributed to all Regions, with a value of N$5.5 million. The free fodder was distributed to 250 farmers per Regions up to end of September 2019. From October 2019, the cap is lifted, as elaborated below.
- Livestock marketing incentive scheme is operational, and to-date 665 claims with a combined value of N$5,016,720 have been paid to farmers.
- Subsidies for fodder/ licks, to-date a total of 339 claims with a combined value of N$343,341.53 have been paid to farmers.
- Subsidies for transportation to grazing areas, to-date a total of 26 claims with a value of N$164,274 have been paid to farmers.
- Subsidies for the lease of grazing, to-date a total of 35 claims with the value of N$396,600 has been paid to farmers.
- Crops support, is being envisaged in preparation for next harvesting season to provide seeds to needy crop producing farmers.
