UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) -- Namibia is experiencing its worst drought in 100 years, with 84 percent of its food reserves already exhausted, UN humanitarians said on Friday.

About 1.4 million people, or nearly half of the country's population, is expected to experience high levels of food insecurity between July and September, said the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), citing the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.

OCHA said the drought is also contributing to an increase in severe acute malnutrition amongst children under five, with deaths already reported in some regions. "As women and girls are required to walk longer distances to collect food and water, their risk of being subjected to gender-based violence also increases."

To support the Namibian government-led response, acting UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Joyce Msuya has allocated 3 million U.S. dollars from the Central Emergency Response Fund, Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN secretary-general, said at a daily briefing.

With these funds, the World Food Programme, the UN Children's Fund, and the UN Population Fund will provide life-saving support to more than 163,000 people, including cash assistance, treatment of acute malnutrition, rehabilitation of water supply points, and assistance to survivors of gender-based violence, he said.

Namibia, an arid and disaster-prone country in southern Africa, declared a state of emergency in May, after the country experienced below-average rainfall during the 2023/2024 rainy season due to the El Nino phenomenon, which has led to substantial delays in rainfall, poor agricultural production, and low dam levels. Enditem

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