FAO readies to support SADC in the predicted El Nino event: official

WINDHOEK, Nov. 14 — The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is prepared to offer its technical assistance and necessary resources to the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in the event of a drought, according to an official.
FAO Namibia’s representative Farayi Zimudzi in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday said the FAO offices in southern Africa, including Namibia recently completed a two-day meeting to strategize in order to support countries in the region in preparation and response to the predicted El Nino event.
“We are meeting with key government ministries to discuss the interventions to mitigate and respond to the looming lower than normal rains,” Zimudzi told Xinhua.
A recent consensus report released by the Southern African Climate Change Outlook Forum in October suggested that most of the countries in the SADC region are predicted to be affected by a drought calamity.
Meanwhile, Zimudzi said in line with FAO’s mandate, the UN agency said it is also ready to support Namibia to develop strong proposals to access donor funding in the case of a drought.
“It should be noted that the bulk of the resources that the organization avails to countries in emergencies have to be mobilized from donors. So depending on the relative needs of various countries, as well as the country’s vulnerability and donor funding priorities, donors decide on which countries they prioritize for support,” she added.
Furthermore she said that there is a need to focus on strengthening the resilience of smallholder farming households, who are most vulnerable to droughts.
“Building resilience entails ensuring that good agricultural practices are applied consistently in order to cushion farming households from the impact of shocks, such as drought whether or not there is an El Nino event,” she said.
According to Zimudzi, support is also contingent on strong, needs-based assessments of the situation highlighting areas of the country likely to be impacted, as well as numbers needing assistance. – XINHUA