WINDHOEK, Aug. 17 — Namibia faces growing food security risks as below-average rainfall is forecast across Southern Africa and rising consumer prices threaten to further erode household purchasing power, the World Food Program (WFP) has warned.
A developing El Nino event is expected to bring below-average rainfall to the region in 2026, potentially reducing agricultural production and disrupting regional cereal supplies, according to the WFP Namibia Country Brief for August released on Monday.
The risks are particularly significant for Namibia, which imports about 70 percent of its food requirements, the WFP said, adding that disruptions to regional supplies could drive up food prices and increase household vulnerability.
The warning comes as Namibia continues to recover from the 2023-2024 drought, with many communities still facing food security challenges. Meanwhile, Namibia’s annual inflation rate rose to 4.4 percent in July, the highest level recorded so far this year.
The WFP said rising consumer prices could further erode purchasing power, particularly among vulnerable households and people dependent on low or fixed incomes.
As of July, more than 117,000 households had received food assistance, while over 51,000 children received meals at early childhood development centers. More than 4,700 metric tons of rice had also been distributed.
The WFP is also supporting efforts to strengthen Namibia’s home-grown school feeding program, which has reached about 466,860 learners, equivalent to 86 percent of children of primary-school age.
The program seeks to improve child nutrition while creating demand for produce from smallholder farmers, thereby strengthening local food systems and rural livelihoods, it said.(Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
