Namibia to inject N$ 46 mln on food security, locust control

Namibia will avail 46 million Namibian dollars to assist marginalized and food-insecure communities as well as to control the African migratory locusts.

In a cabinet resolution statement, Information Minister Peya Mushelenga said lawmakers agreed to inject funds into the National Emergency Disaster Fund (NEDF) to cover funding gaps.

He said 26 million Namibian dollars would go towards food for marginalized communities and food insecurity for the period of February and March 2021 while 20 million Namibian dollars will cater for expenses relating to the control of the African migratory locusts.

Namibia is currently grappling with an outbreak of red migratory locusts which now threaten the current planting season.

According to a vulnerability assessment carried out in August this year, about 425 905 people in Namibia are food insecure.

The bi-annual assessment was aimed at determining the extent of food vulnerability in local households. - Nampa/Xinhua