Food security concerns

Tanzania is the East African nation hardest hit by the failure of the short rains, according to a bulletin from the Famine Early Warning System (FEWS), which said the February/March harvest was expected to be 80-90 percent below average in all bimodal regions except Kagera. The failure of this season’s crops will cause hardship for many households and the situation could worsen if the upcoming long-rains harvest is poor, FEWS said. Tanzania’s government plans to import 50,000 mt of maize for the country’s strategic grain reserve and has asked donors to support vulnerable populations with relief food and food-for-work amounting to 166,000 mt of cereals.

Meanwhile, an FAO/WFP crop and food supply assessment mission to Tanzania said in a special report received today by IRIN that, should the next harvest - due in May - fail, “the food situation is likely to deteriorate significantly”. According to the mission, food assistance will be sought for about one million people.