(BBC) – Namibia is facing a “natural disaster” because of poor rains, President Hage Geingob says. He has declared a state of emergency – the second in three years – over the situation, mobilizing all government agencies to respond to the drought. The lack of rain has already left 500,000 people – one in five Namibians – without access to enough food, the government says. The sparsely-populated country has
seen a succession of droughts since 2013. The government had set aside $40m (£30m) to buy food and water tanks and to transport livestock to and from grazing areas. Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila has appealed for international help. “We… call on all Namibians and development partners to assist in any way possible, so that we provide to our people who are affected, as well as the livestock,” she said in the national assembly. At least 60,000 domestic animals have died in the past six months. READ MORE
