Namibia launches food bank program

Namibia President Hage Geingob launched the food bank program Thursday in Windhoek, saying that the government's aim is to establish more centers in urban and peri-urban areas.

The food bank concept, based on the Cuban model, is one of Geingob's means of eradicating urban poverty and bringing about equality.

Government received the food items donated Thursday from commercial, game farming community, manufacturers, retailers and churches.

In his keynote address during the launch, Geingob said Namibia currently has 160, 753 pensioners and 36,187 people living with disabilities.

He also said more than 5,800 households with a total of 27,500 will benefit from the food bank pilot project launched in one of Windhoek constituencies called Tobias Hainyeko.

The president further said the government was spending 177 million Namibian dollars (about 12 million U.S. dollars) on pensioners and about 40 million Namibian dollars (2.7 million dollars) on those living with disabilities.

According to Geingob, the food bank initiative will involve a process of sourcing food and required non-food items and distributing these items to poor and vulnerable persons, making use of the street committees.

Although Geingob said government is targeted households whose per capita income is below 400 Namibian dollars, this criterion will be used in the pilot program.

The launch of the food bank comes a day after Geingob declared a state of emergency in the country because of the persisting drought that is affecting about 700, 000 people.

Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila told the media Wednesday that the government has set aside 90 million Namibian dollars for drought relief from March to July in 2016. Endit