Current drought 'worse than 2019 devastation'

This year&#039;s drought is even worse than that of 2019, and rain prospects do not look promising.This according to Drought Relief Namibia’s Henriette le Grange, who has been involved in drought-relief efforts for almost a decade.“The drought of 2019 was devastating, because then the west and places in the east were very dry, but now it is at its worst."What is worse this year is the number of farmers looking for pasture for their animals,” she said.During a Namibia Media Holdings visit to the south and south-east of the country recently, severe scenes of drought were observed, with emaciated livestock and game, carcasses, a serious lack of pasture and severe soil degradation painting a bleak picture.Trucks full of livestockNumerous trucks loaded with livestock were spotted on southern roads.At Gochas, farmers said between seven and 10 truckloads of sheep are unloaded from the Hardap Region every week."Farmers who had 5 000 or 6 000 sheep now only have 500 sheep left," Le Grange said."Last week, more than 5 000 cattle were sold at auctions in the east alone. What is really worrying is that the auction price for slaughter cows is a terrible N$9 per kilogram.”In the far north, the mahangu looks sad, while the efundja floodwaters have not yet arrived at all, she said.Meanwhile, between Grootfontein and Kombat, many farmers have had very little rain, while Otavi, which usually gets a lot of rain, is also very dry."The north-west, which is usually dry, received rain, but from there southwards, it is very dry,” Le Grange noted.Funds exhaustedAccording to her, since December 2023, Drought Relief Namibia has bought more than N$200 000 worth of feed to assist farmers in drought-stricken areas.The organisation helped farmers from Gochas, Kalkfeld and Mariental two weeks ago, while last week, farmers from Keetmanshoop, Bethanie and Aus were desperate for aid.Next up are farmers from Koës, Aroab, Maltahöhe, Aranos and the surrounding areas, but Le Grange said those in the far south such as Karasburg and along the Orange River also need help."Our funds are exhausted and the need is at its highest. You feel like your hands have been cut off."To raise funds for this critical cause, Drought Relief Namibia will host a concert with the country group West on 20 April at Windhoek Afrikaans Private School. A nationwide prayer day for rain was held on Wednesday.– francoise@nmh.com.na

Current drought 'worse than 2019 devastation'

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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Current drought 'worse than 2019 devastation'

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Namibian Sun 2025-09-17

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