Drought reports “exaggerated”

Humanitarian sources in Tanzania have described local press reports of a famine emergency as “exaggerated”. “There could be a problem around the corner in February/March and that’s what we need to ascertain, but there’s no cause for panic at the moment,” the sources told IRIN today (Wednesday). “There is a genuine need in some of the regions and we are responding to it.” WFP is distributing food to drought-affected people in the two worst hit regions of Singida and Dodoma and is conducting a food security assessment across the country.

Local media have claimed that up to 300,000 people are at risk in 15 of Tanzania’s 20 regions. To date there have been 15 reported deaths from starvation. But the alleged fatalities are “very anecdotal and certainly not due just to starvation,” the sources said. They however acknowledge that Tanzania is facing shortages compounded by the drought of 1996/97 and the heavy El Nino rains of 1997/98. This season’s short rains have also been late. Household incomes are currently being stretched by low livestock prices and high maize prices, the sources added.