Worst drought in 90 years hits Namibia, over 61,000 cattle and other livestock perish

Severe drought is affecting Namibia, causing deaths of more than 41,000 cattle over a period of ten months, reports showed on October 3, 2019. Officials describe it as the worst drought in 90 years.

More than 60,000 livestock have perished due to extreme drought conditions from October 2018 to July 2019. This includes 41,949 cattle, 10,377 sheep, 25,651 goats, 584 donkeys, and about 312 horses. The numbers were confirmed by agriculture minister Alpheus Naruseb on October 2 upon a New Era inquiry.

The records come after the July 2019 Synthesis Report on the State of Food and Nutrition Security and Vulnerability. The statistics also unveiled that more than 30,000 cattle deaths were recorded between October 2018 and April 2019 in Namibia.

The shocking fact about it is that those dates were the usual rainfall season in the country.

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Prime Minister Saara Kuugongelwa-Amadhila said the government has acknowledged the fact that climatic conditions keep being unfavorable and continue to have negative impacts not only on livestock but also on communities.