Namibia
drought threatens 400,000 with hunger: govt
A
severe drought that sparked a state of emergency in Namibia has left
400,000 people facing hunger, the government said.
7
August, 2013
The
government has been criticised for failing to do enough to provide
relief to people during the worst dry spell to hit the country in
decades.
But
the chairman of the Disaster Risk Management Committee defended the
government's performance as he announced the new figure late Tuesday.
"We
are trying to do the best we can to make sure that the food goes to
the intended people. So far so good," he said.
Namibia
is the driest country in sub-Saharan Africa, and only two percent of
land receives sufficient rainfall to grow crops.
The
southern African country has seen several droughts in the recent
decades.
The
number of people at risk from hunger has risen from 300,000 in May,
when President Hifikepunye Pohamba declared a state of emergency.
In
May, the government started handing out maize meal bags to rural
areas in a central part of the country and authorities are appealing
for international support.
Unicef
says more than 778,000 people including 109,000 children under the
age of five are at risk of malnutrition.
The
organisation says it needs about $22 million (about 17,000 euros) to
support those people.
The
dry spell has destroyed grazing land and raised concerns about the
country's spectacular wildlife, which attracts vital tourist income.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.