Number of people in need rises

The number of people in need of relief assistance in Namibia has risen to 642,000, the country's Emergency Management Unit (EMU) told IRIN on Monday. EMU deputy director Gabriel Kangowa said recent vulnerability assessments conducted by his teams had discovered that the number of people in need had risen to well over the estimated 400,000 projected in August. Flash floods in the Caprivi region had also contributed to people's vulnerability. Last year around 345,000 Namibians required food aid, which the government was able to provide without making an appeal for international assistance. This year's drought has been more severe. Given the sharp increase to 642,000 people in need, the government would soon hold a donor conference to appeal for Nam $230 million (about US $33.8 million) to cover emergency relief operations. "We are calling for tenders to buy food, and give the food to the people. We are going to drill new boreholes and rehabilitate other boreholes, transport animals from areas with poor grazing to areas with better grazing, and provide marketing incentives to farmers," Kangowa said.