Drought-Hit Namibia Is So Low On Food Reserves That It's Killing Elephants For Meat

Namibia is culling 723 wild animals, including elephants, for meat to combat drought-induced food insecurity. The move aims to prevent human-wildlife conflicts and distribute meat to those in need.

Namibia has decided to cull a large number of wild animals, including elephants, for their meat, with the authorities anticipating a rise in human-wildlife conflicts in the coming days due to the ongoing severe drought situation across southern Africa. According to a Reuters report, the country's environment ministry has announced their decision to cull a total of 723 wild animals, which include 83 elephants, 300 zebras, and 30 hippos. Their meat will be distributed among the people struggling to feed themselves because of the drought as Namibia fears high food insecurity for nearly half of its population in the coming months.

According to the United Nations, Namibia has already exhausted 84% of its food reserves due to the worst drought in decades.

The southern African region is home to an estimated 2 lakh elephants living in a conservation area spread over five countries — Zimbabwe, Zambia, Botswana, Angola and Namibia.

Buffalos, Impalas Also On Cull List, 157 Animals Hunted Already 

The Namibian government said last week the number of animals has exceed the grazing land and water supplies available. And with such a severe drought, the environment ministry said, human-wildlife conflicts would increase if the authorities did not intervene.

"To this effect, 83 elephants from identified conflict areas will be culled, (and) meat will be allocated to the drought relief programme," a statement from the ministry read, as per the Reuters report.

Also on the cull list are 30 hippos, 60 buffalos, 50 impalas, 100 blue wildebeests, 300 zebras and 100 elands.

Besides, professional hunters and firms contracted by the government have already culled 157 animals, collecting more than 56,800 kg meat.

The government has said the exercise was necessary "and is in line with our constitutional mandate where our natural resources are used for the benefit of Namibian citizens".

UN On Namibia Drought

The United Nations last month described the situation in Namibia as a “humanitarian crisis we’ve never spoken much of”, and that the country "is facing the worst drought in 100 years"

In a media briefing, a spokesperson for US Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said: "84 per cent of Namibia’s food reserves are already exhausted, and nearly half of the population is expected to experience high levels of food insecurity between July and September — that’s what the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification system is telling us."

The UN also said there has been an increase in "severe acute malnutrition among children under five" due to the drought, and deaths have already been reported in some regions. "Our humanitarian colleagues say that for women and girls who are required to walk longer distances to collect food and water, their risk of being subjected to gender-based violence also increases," it said.

A decision has been taken to support the people of the region with money allocated to the World Food Programme, UNICEF and the UN Population Fund from the Central Emergency Response Fund, by providing cash assistance, medical treatment, rehabilitation of water supply points, among other things.