In Numbers

Net Funding Requirements: USD 6.6 m (April – September 2022)

People Assisted in March 2022

Home Grown School Feeding Programme: 13,915 school children

Integrated Community-based Food Systems Projects: 1,457 beneficiaries

Operational Updates

CBT Food Voucher Demonstration

WFP with representation of the Prime Minister and select members of Cabinet observed a food voucher demonstration to cement understanding of the voucher process and demonstrate WFP’s technical capacity to the government. Since implementation, this programme has reached a total of 2,700 vulnerable households in Kunene and Ohangwena regions impacted by COVID-19, drought, and migratory locusts. The voucher system has been adopted for utilisation by the Office of the Prime Minister for its national drought relief programme.

Management of Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM)

A multi-sectoral team comprised of Nutrition and Food Security Alliance of Namibia, UNICEF, WFP, WHO, FAO and the Ministry of Gender Equality Poverty Eradication and Social Welfare visited Omaheke Region in response to concerns raised by the regional management team on increased hospital admissions for severe acute malnutrition (SAM). More than 90 percent of hospital admissions for SAM are children under 5 years, from marginalised families living in informal settlements of Omaheke Region.

The root causes of malnutrition were observed to be multifactorial and linked to deeper social issues such as high unemployment rates and food insecurity. At the conclusion of the visit, the multi-sectoral team drafted an action plan with key roles of stakeholders.

Climate Change and Adaptation

WFP through the project Strengthening the Integrated early warning system in Namibia provides technical support to government for an enhanced drought monitoring system linked to early mitigation action and long-term investments for drought resilient communities.

This work is carried out through various systems such as crop monitoring during the planting and harvesting season, seasonal rainfall monitoring, and household hunger live monitoring.

Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF) Programme

WFP continued to support the Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture (MoEAC) in the implementation of the HomeGrown School Feeding Programme (HGSF). In March 2022, WFP supported national baseline assessments in 6 regions, across 25 schools for the enrolment and upscaling of the HGSF pilot phase. The assessment focused on school children’s’ anthropometric measurements while aiming to gain insights from smallholder farmers.

Further, WFP undertook a joint mission to Kunene region with the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Land Reform;

MoEAC, the Ministry of Health and Social Services and the National Planning Commission to strengthen collaboration between key sectors and jointly engage and sensitize regional leadership and grassroot communities on the HGSFP. The joint mission resulted in enhanced buy-in and programme ownership at regional and community level.

Integrated Community-based Food Systems Projects

WFP conducted community engagement sessions with food systems implementing stakeholders, service providers and beneficiaries from the Windhoek Female Correctional Facility, Aminuis Corridor 4 and across several primary and secondary schools in the Khomas, Hardap, //Karas and Omaheke regions.

WFP’s food system approach is designed to improve livelihoods by scaling up production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management of various crop and livestock commodities at correctional and health facilities, schools, and the most vulnerable communities.

Source: Dehai Eritrea Online