Namibian President Urges Flood Victims to Accept Aid, Relocate

President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah has urged flood-affected residents in the Zambezi region to accept and eat government-distributed rice and stop resisting relocation efforts. She made the remarks during a visit to assess the flood situation.

Flooding, caused by heavy rain in the region since January, has left villages in the Kabbe South and Kabbe North constituencies submerged. The rice, part of a donation from South Korea, was rejected by some residents who preferred maize meal and were unfamiliar with preparing it.

Authorities said essential services, including schools and clinics, were cut off. Aid such as tents, food, and water supplies was being distributed. Regional leaders said that ongoing challenges with relocation resistance and limited resources were exacerbated by floodwaters that continued to disrupt communities.