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22,000 Namibian families receive food aid in 6 months

Xinhua, December 13, 2016 Adjust font size:

More than 22,000 households in Namibia received drought relief food between April and September as the country battled persistent dry spells.

The food aid cost the government 300 million Namibian dollars (about 22 million U.S. dollars), said John Steytler, the presidential advisor on economic affairs, at a media briefing in Windhoek Tuesday.

Steytler was reporting on the success of President Hage Geingob's four-year Harambee Prosperity Plan launched last year to end poverty.

According to Steytler, 22,354 households have benefited from the government drought-relief program.

Namibia has about 800,000 people who are food insecure due to the persistent drought that has ravaged the country for the past three years, prompting the country to declare a state of emergency in June.

Namibia, according to Steytler, has received support to fight poverty from other countries.

Although he did not mention the countries, the Office of the UN Resident Coordinator in Namibia said China donated 30 million yuan (4.3 million U.S. dollars), India put in 100 tonnes of rice, while Japan sent food stuff valued at 6 million Namibian dollars (438,000 U.S. dollars). Endit