by Mutonga Matali
RUNDU- The distribution of food aid by the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to flood victims and vulnerable communities that was stopped in 2011 in Kavango Region, will resume this month.
It is reported that flood victims who have settled at Kaisosi informal settlement on the outskirts of Rundu have not received food aid since last September. The group abandoned their flood-prone homes along the Okavango River in April last year.
According to the Deputy Director for emergency management unit in the office of the Prime Minister, Gabriel Kangowa, distribution of food aid will resume as soon as food consignments arrive in the respective regions.
Kangowa told New Era this week that companies entrusted with delivering maize-meal and cooking oil in the regions have embarked on the job.
“It is a government project and companies have already started dropping maize-meal in the regions,” said Kangowa, before highlighting that the process was delayed because most companies were closed when the project was drawn and that cooking oil has to be imported from South Africa.
Kangowa explained that the distribution programme is based on a “vulnerability assessment” which was conducted in various regions last year to determine deserving beneficiaries.
Flood victims, as well as marginalised communities, notably from the San society, are expected to benefit from the project. Big trucks believed to be involved in the transportation of maize-meal were observed in Rundu yesterday, sparking speculation that distribution might start this week.
The flood victims at Kaisosi have, over the past few months, been surviving on rotten and expired food dumped near their camp by local supermarkets. Just over 70 people, including 30 children, stay at the camp and have since asked the government to relocate them permanently.