Namibia is battling severe food insecurity, exacerbated by severe drought.
According to a notice from the Namibian government in South Africa, the country has approved the killing of hundreds of animals, including elephants, to provide food for people affected by a severe drought. Last month, the United Nations reported that a widely reported food crisis in the country left almost half of Namibia's population suffering from severe food insecurity.
In response, Namibia's Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Tourism announced on Monday that the meat from 723 animals to be culled would be distributed as part of a drought relief program aimed at alleviating the country's worsening hunger crisis.
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“The ministry will donate 723 animals, including 30 hippos, 60 buffaloes, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeest, 300 zebras, 83 elephants and 100 elands. The animals will be sourced from national parks and public areas with sustainable hunting numbers,” the ministry said. He said in a press release.
“The culling is being carried out by professional hunters and safari operators contracted by ministries and conservation organisations in specific areas. To date, 157 animals of various species have been hunted in Mangetti National Park, 20 in Mahango, 70 in Kwando, six buffalo and nine in Mudumo, yielding 56,875 kilograms of meat.”
Meanwhile, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) said on Saturday that an El Niño drought has affected some 68 million people in southern Africa and destroyed crops across the region. The drought, which began in early 2024, has hit crop and livestock production, causing food shortages and battering the wider economy. Leaders of the 16-nation SADC nation met in Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, to discuss regional issues, including food security.
It is South Africa's worst drought in years and is the result of a combination of naturally occurring El Niño weather phenomenon – an unusually warm ocean current in the eastern Pacific that alters global weather patterns – and rising average temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions.
Countries including Zimbabwe, Zambia and Malawi have already declared the hunger crisis a state of disaster, while Lesotho and Namibia have appealed for humanitarian aid.
