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Food Shortage Looms for Osire Refugees

The Namibian (Windhoek)
NEWS
July 18, 2003
Posted to the web July 18, 2003

By Lindsay Dentlinger
Windhoek
A GOVERNMENT ban on the import of maize during the local harvest season is
having serious repercussions for the World Food Programme (WFP), which is
responsible for feeding refugees at the Osire refugee camp.
Food aid which was supposed to be delivered on Wednesday had to be delayed
while the WFP sourced additional maize.
The ban is intended to encourage local purchasing during the harvest period.
On Monday the WFP will deliver about 130 metric tons of maize to the camp -
only half the usual monthly amount.
As a result individual rations will also have to be reduced from 12 kilograms
per person to 6 kilograms.
But an even bigger concern for WFP is how it will feed the refugees next month.
WFP Head in Namibia, Abdirahman Meygag, told The Namibian that it will not be
able to purchase as much maize as is needed with their available funds, because
local prices are almost double that of South Africa.
"It is very worrisome considering that maize meal is the staple food of
refugees.
This could affect their nutritional state".
Meygag added that refugees are entirely dependent on food supplies from aid
agencies, as they have no means of income and no other means to source food.
A request to the Namibian Agronomic Board to be excused from the import
restrictions has been refused.
The WFP has now requested the intervention of the Home Affairs Ministry to
plead for this decision to be reconsidered, on the basis that the maize meal is
required for humanitarian needs rather than for commercial purposes.
The Agronomic Board was not available for comment on the decision.
In addition to maize meal the WFP also provides the refugees with pulses,
sugar, corn-soya blend and oil.
Next week the WFP will also be responsible for feeding the about 250 refugees
during their three-day repatriation journey from Osire to the transit centres
in Angola.

   

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