Namibia Red Cross Disaster Response Actions

Namibia Red Cross Disaster Response Actions

The National Society’s ambition is to save lives, reduce suffering, damage and losses and to support affected communities in order for them to recover from disasters and crises. NRC has responded to disasters coordinating with governments’ entities, international organizations and partners through the implementations of various disaster preparedness and response actions under its Disaster Management (DM) department.

Drought Relief Intervention-Khorixas Constituency, Kunene region

The humanitarian agenda and mandate has changed due to climate change imposed hazards on vulnerable communities, thus NRC is addressing underlying vulnerabilities to prevent crisis from escalating into acute situations of need in affected communities.

The melody for NRC is using Cash and Voucher Assistance (CVA) modality in disaster preparedness and response.  The recent drought situation specifically in Khorixas Constituency, is directly linked to climate change effects.

Recently (Oct 2020 – May 2021), NRC responded to drought induced food security challenges in the Khorixas constituency with the support of the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).  The programme provided relief to affected communities by assisting 1,204 households with food and basic needs through monthly cash transfers over a period of five months. These cash transfers were not only used for food but also helped households to diversify livelihoods e.g starting backyard gardens, livestock’s, and small businesses.

NRCS is voicing for the encashment programmes to support vulnerable families that are affected by disasters.  The objectives is to empower those that are vulnerable to take charge of the households’ economic prestige and livelihoods diversification.

Furthermore, NRCS enhanced agriculture-based livelihoods through rehabilitation of 15 water points. The water point’s rehabilitation work upgraded the water pumping systems to solar powered from diesel engine power systems. These lessened the economic burden of households to buy fuel to pump water, the newly installed solar powered systems are environmentaly friendly and low cost to these vulnerable communities. This will enrich their agricultural production through setting up gardens and increasing their livestock numbers due to the availability of water.

In conclusion NRC believe that a household or community is economically secure when conditions allow it to meet its essential economic needs in a sustainable way, without resorting to strategies which are damaging to livelihoods, security and dignity, such households are more resilience to climate change effects.