ACT member the Christian Council of Tanzania (CCT) reports
that a large number of the population in Tanzania are currently suffering
food shortages caused by poor and erratic rainfall in the 2002-2003
cropping season which affected crop production in most parts of the
country. The current situation is estimated to be comparable with
that of the 2000/2001 famine.
In the Rapid Vulnerability Assessment of Food Insecure Districts
(RVA-FID) carried out in 52 districts and in which CCT participated,
it was forecast that 320,026 households (1,939,698 persons) will experience
a high food insecurity starting October 2003 to March 2004. It is
expected that the continuing drought spell will further diminish pastures
and water sources and consequently affect livestock production. In
May the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security identified a number
of districts where food shortages were likely to emerge either before
or during the June 2003 – May 2004 consumption year. These include
Mafia, Iramba, Maswa, Masasi and Mvomero, all of which were likely
to start facing shortages as early as May and June 2003. This has
happened, not only in the areas mentioned above, but also in Chunya,
Mbarali and Dodoma.
In the assessment conducted in June/July 2003 and co-ordinated by
the Disaster Management Department of the Prime Minister’s Office
an estimated total of 77,489 MT of food aid and 3,200 MT of various
seed types are to be distributed to the 320,026 families in the form
of food for work and subsidised prices (RVA-Report, July 2003).
To pre-empt the situation deteriorating further, ACT members in the
country are preparing a joint appeal for food aid and seeds for the
most seriously affected of the population.
