NAMIBIA WORST DROUGHT IN 30 YEARS

NAMIBIA is suffering its worst drought in a generation, with more than 100 000 children at risk of malnutrition, the United Nations said on Thursday [The Namibian of 2013-07-23]

President Hifkepunye Pohamba declared a national emergency in the sparsely populated southern African nation after the failure of crops in May, and earmarked N$217 million of relief for the worst-hit households. Many farmers are now being forced to sell cattle for which there is no grazing, while cow-herds from Angola are reported to have crossed the border in search of food, fueling tribal tensions as competition for scarce pastures intensifies.

“The shortages of food and water are increasing the immediate threat of disease and malnutrition,” said Micaela Marques De Sousa, the Namibia representative of UNICEF, the UN’s children’s agency. “But anecdotal reports already indicate children are dropping out of school, a clear sign of stress and vulnerability in families.”

A quarter of Namibia's two million people live in poverty. While agriculture accounts for five percent of the economy, a third of Namibians are dependent on some form of subsistence farming.– Nampa

• Pray for creative plans and funds to help the many families in need.
• Trust that children will be able to attend school during this challenging time.
• Several businesses started to give help in the drought stricken areas - pray that the help will reach those who are really in need.
• Pray that Namibians and the world will open their hearts.
• Ask God to make a way where there seems to be no way [*] Ask Him to bless Namibia with early rains ...

Let us acknowledge the LORD; let us press on to acknowledge him. As surely as the sun rises, he will appear; he will come to us like the winter rains, like the spring rains that water the earth. Hosea 6:3 

[* In the northern areas rains can start as early as October and last to the first weeks of May. The further south you head the less it rains and the later the season starts, the same is true when traveling from east to west (eastern Namibia is wet - western Namibia dry). Windhoek, in central Namibia generally experiences rain from January - late April - although there can be rains early than this - and October & November are referred to as the small rainy season.]

Source  http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=1632&page_type=story_detail  
Photo: Erik & Hester van Zyl