A recent report reveals that household food security in Namibia is under threat. The report prepared by the Namibia Early Warning and Food Information Unit (NEWFIU) and titled Namibia crop prospects and food security situation, says household food security is tightening as the hunger season reaches its peak. 

It also states that most households interviewed have indicated that they had depleted their food stocks in September last year and were now dependent mainly on the market for food access.

"The household food security situation in the regions visited is tightening, as it was reported in the document," senior agricultural economist in Namibia's ministry of agriculture, water and forestry, Matheus Ndjodhi, told eNews.

The survey was done in the Caprivi, Kavango, Omusati, Ohangwena, Oshana and Oshikoto regions, where more than 70 percent of the population lives. Its purpose was to assess crop condition in these major crop-growing regions and to provide early warning reports on geographic locations of agronomic anomalies, the effects of floods, droughts and other significant events.

Namibia as a country is food secure in terms of food availability and utilisation, but food access is a problem. However, government was giving out food aid to people who were critically in need and unable to access food, Ndjodhi said.

Moreover, he added, government had permanent social safety nets in place, which included an old age grant for people aged 60 years and older, an orphan and vulnerable children grant and a special programme for the San people.

As indicated in the report,the household food security situation is expected to improve by the end of this March 2010 until harvesting [begins] in May, he said.

RCCP eNews reporter, 24 March