Food insecurity doubles in Namibia

Food insecurity in Namibia has doubled over the past two years, with around 1.3 million people – or 41% of the population – facing high levels of acute food insecurity between October 2024 and March this year, according to a new report.“Of them, around 100 000 were in emergency (IPC Phase 4). This is almost double the number since the October 2023 to March 2024 lean season and the highest in GRFC reporting on Namibia,” the Global Report on Food Crises (GRFC) states.The report found that all 14 regions had more than 30% of their populations in crisis (IPC Phase 3), with the worst-affected areas being Kunene, Kavango West, Kavango East and Zambezi.Weather was identified as one of the key drivers of the crisis, the report noted.“Despite the transition to La Niña, drier-than-normal conditions persisted through early February 2025 in Namibia, which negatively impacted 2025 crop production and rangeland conditions.”Another report published last year also highlighted the scale of food insecurity in Namibia.A 2024 Afrobarometer survey found that nearly three-quarters (73%) of Namibians said they or a family member had gone without enough food at least once in the past year. One in five (19%) said this happened "many times" or "always".“Almost three-quarters of Namibians went without enough food to eat at least once during the previous year,” the Afrobarometer survey found. The proportion of Namibians experiencing frequent food shortages has risen steadily, reaching the highest levels recorded by the survey since 2017.Food insecurity now ranks among the top three issues Namibians want the government to address urgently, the report said.“Overall, nearly two-thirds of Namibians repeatedly went without basic life necessities during the previous year, placing them in the category of moderate or high lived poverty,” it added.According to the GRFC outlook, hunger shocks will likely persist into 2025, as the global network anticipates the most significant reduction in humanitarian funding for food and nutrition crises in the report's history.Global food crisisAcute food insecurity and child malnutrition rose for the sixth consecutive year in 2024, pushing millions around the globe to the brink in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions, according to the GRFC report. More than 295 million people across 53 countries and territories faced acute hunger in 2024 – an increase of 13.7 million compared to the previous year.“Of great concern is the worsening prevalence of acute food insecurity, which now stands at 22.6% of the population assessed. This marks the fifth consecutive year in which this figure has remained above 20%," the report stated.“This global report on food crises is another unflinching indictment of a world dangerously off course,” said United Nations secretary-general António Guterres. “Long-standing crises are now being compounded by another, more recent one: the dramatic reduction in lifesaving humanitarian funding to respond to these needs. This is more than a failure of systems – it is a failure of humanity."He added: "Hunger in the 21st century is indefensible. We cannot respond to empty stomachs with empty hands and turned backs.”Economic shocks, including inflation and currency devaluation, drove hunger in 15 countries, affecting 59.4 million people, still nearly double pre-Covid-19 levels despite a modest decline from 2023.Meanwhile, weather extremes pushed 18 countries into food crises affecting over 96 million people, with significant impacts in Southern Africa, Southern Asia and the Horn of Africa, the report said.

Food insecurity doubles in Namibia

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-09

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Food insecurity doubles in Namibia

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-09

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