Namibia PDNA 2009 - GFDRR

Annex 11
Food Security
Pre-disaster Situation
Food security assessments 58 conducted by the World Food
Programme and the Government of the Republic of Namibia
after the 2008 floods, revealed high levels of chronic food
insecurity in the flooded area, mainly in Caprivi, Ohangwena,
Omusati, Oshana, and Oshikoto Regions. The chronic food
insecurity, understood as a long-term and persistent inability
to meet minimum food requirements, was found to be linked
to HIV and AIDS, structural poverty, and impact of recurrent
natural disasters in livelihoods and socio-economic sectors.
Food security indicators did not change significantly after 2008
floods from the situation in 2007. This indicates that food
insecurity in the region is a result of long term poverty (chronic),
rather than solely as a result of the last natural disasters that
have hit the regions (transitory). However, the assessment
revealed that transitory acute food insecurity exacerbates
chronic poverty, and will affect vulnerable populations further.
The assessments revealed that 33 percent of households in
Caprivi and 16 percent of households in the northern-central
regions were food insecure 59 after the 2008 floods.
The food insecure population had poor or borderline food
consumption 60 , understood as a low frequency of intake of
food groups with relevant nutritional value. Households with
poor food consumption in the region ate little more than staple
grains and oil, indicating a serious nutritional deficit. Households
with borderline consumption ate the equivalent of cereals
58 Directorate of Disaster Risk Management. Emergency Food
Security Assessment Directorate of Disaster Risk Management
(May-June 2008). An assessment of the impact of the flood and
other natural disasters on food security of rural households in
areas of Northern Namibia May-June 2008.
Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare and the
UN World Food Programme (December 2007). Namibia
Community and Household Surveillance (CHS): Round 2 An
Impact Assessment of the Ministry of Gender Equality and
Child Welfare/UN World Food Programme Food Support
Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in
Northern Namibia.
59 The food consumption indicator and the food access indicator
were combined to create a consolidated food security
indicator; a measurement both of the quality of household
food consumption at present and the ability of the household
to continue to maintain that level of food consumption in the
future.
60 Using a 7-day recall period, information was collected on the
variety and frequency of different foods and food groups to
calculate a weighted food consumption score. Weights were
based on the nutritional density of the foods. Households were
then classified as having either ‘poor’, ‘borderline’ or ‘acceptable’
consumption based on the analysis of the data.
and vegetables on a daily basis, plus pulses and oils about four
times per week, and occasional meat and fish. Households with
acceptable consumption managed to regularly consume fish,
and occasionally meat, nuts, vegetables, and milk.
The food insecure population in the area had poor food
access, as measured by a households’ ability to both purchase
and produce food for its members. After the impact of the
2008 floods, approximately 50 percent of households in the
north-central Regions and 40 percent of households in Caprivi
presented poor food access, with low expenditure per capita,
low production of the cereal staple food, and few livestock.
Households with poor food access spent on average N$51
per capita on all monthly expenses which is sufficient to
purchase maize meal for the household members to eat for
one month.
It is interesting to note that there was nearly twice the number
of food-insecure households in Caprivi as compared to the
other regions surveyed. This high level of food insecurity
may be due to the high prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Caprivi
(43 percent, according to the 2006 Sentinel Survey), and the
regular and recurrent floods and other natural events that
affect the Region.
While a relatively large proportion of the population in the
north-central Regions had acceptable food consumption,
50 percent of the households in these areas reported that
food crop production was either their first or second most
important livelihood source, and these households obtained
34 percent of their total food from own production. The
subsistence farmers’ households, which depended on crop
production as the main source of food, are the most vulnerable
to be affected by shocks.
Variations in food availability at the household level as a
result of shocks as floods or crop failure are a key element
to determine the food security situation of the subsistence
farmers. Population groups with diverse sources of income and
owning livestock might be in a better position to cope with
food shortages
After the 2008 floods, a total of 146,000 people were
estimated to require emergency assistance in the rural areas
of the north- entral Regions and Caprivi in order to maintain
their household food security and to avoid a deterioration of
nutritional status and poverty level after the floods. Most of the
population (80 percent) was identified to be in the rural areas
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Namibia POST-DISASTER NEEDS ASSESSMENT