Angolan nationals and Ovahimba communties in drought stricken areas receive humanitarian aid from NAMDIA
By Clifton Movirongo.
Diamond marketing and sales company, Namib Desert Diamonds (NAMDIA), over the course of last week distributed approximately 10 tonnes of food to the Omusati Region’s communities of Etunda and Oshifo and Kunene Region’s communities of Otjivero and Etanga.
Items donated included food items such as maize meal, cooking oil, sugar, canned fish, tea, dried beans and soup.
The food donations contributed jointly by the NAMDIA Foundation who working closely with Toivo Nuugulu Logistics, will aid in alleviating hunger among locals in specified areas and some Angolan nationals who migrated to this country from drought stricken areas.
NAMDIA’s Chief Executive, Kennedy Hamutenya led the group as he was in attendance during first stop at Etunda and Oshifo in the Ruacana area.
“The Angolan nationals traveled about 100km to 130km by foot that took weeks and sometimes months to reach the Ruacana areas, with more arriving daily in search of food,” said Namdia spokesperson Beverley Coussement, adding that with the anticipated arrival of winter, these communities risk exposure to even harsher temperatures, as they sleep out in the open or in makeshift “homes” made from various materials that they salvage like plastic.
“These communities comprised of over 1400 people with over 600 children under the age of 6 and 54 pregnant women.”
The second stop was at Ojivero and Etanga in the Opuwo area and 292 families benefited from the food parcels.
“Despite the favorable rain the country has received this year, the Kunene Region remains under the grip of a lingering drought,” Coussement said.
Although most parts of the country received good amounts of rainfall during this rainy season, the Kunene Region received minimal rainfall, which made no significant impact on the livelihood of communities and livestock in the region.
“NAMDIA appeals to other business entities and Namibians at large to come forth with donations, including blankets. Together we can minimize the suffering of these communities and make life a bit more bearable. This is the Foundation’s third food distribution project. Last year on two occasions a total of 23 tons of food items were distributed to communities in the Windhoek informal settlements during the country’s lockdown,” Coussement concluded.
