Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06DARESSALAAM300
2006-02-15 14:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Dar Es Salaam
Cable title:  

TANZANIA'S FOOD SHORTAGE: GOVERNMENT REQUESTS

Tags:  PREL EAID ECON EAGR TZ 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000300 

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT AF/E FOR E PRATT, AF/RSA FOR J NAY, AF/EPS FOR M
NORMAN
DEPT PASS TO AID FOR AF/W OFFICE
NAIROBI AID/OFDA FOR J MYER AND REDSO/ESA FOR W
KNAUSENBERGER
LONDON, PARIS, BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON EAGR TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA'S FOOD SHORTAGE: GOVERNMENT REQUESTS
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

SUMMARY
--------
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 000300

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

DEPT AF/E FOR E PRATT, AF/RSA FOR J NAY, AF/EPS FOR M
NORMAN
DEPT PASS TO AID FOR AF/W OFFICE
NAIROBI AID/OFDA FOR J MYER AND REDSO/ESA FOR W
KNAUSENBERGER
LONDON, PARIS, BRUSSELS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL EAID ECON EAGR TZ
SUBJECT: TANZANIA'S FOOD SHORTAGE: GOVERNMENT REQUESTS
INTERNATIONAL ASSISTANCE

SUMMARY
--------------

1. (SBU) The Government of Tanzania (GOT) called all heads
of
mission to Dodoma, the legislative capital, on February 13
for a briefing by Prime Minister Edward Lowassa on the food
crisis in Tanzania. On February 14, the Ministry of
Foreign
Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Asha Rose
Migiro,
held another briefing for all heads of mission and
representatives of international organizations in Dar es
Salaam, requesting assistance from the international
community to cope with affects of the ravaging drought.
The
Embassy was represented by Charge d'Affaires, Pamela White.


2. (SBU) The GOT explained that Tanzania's food security
has
deteriorated rapidly following the failure of the short
rains
("vuli"),which normally start in September and continue
through December. Through a Rapid Vulnerability Assessment
(RVA),the GOT has estimated that more than 3.7 million
Tanzanians are affected by food insecurity. The GOT is
requesting food assistance of 100,000 metric tons to last
until the next harvest in May 2006. The RVA estimated that
of the 3.7 million people affected by food insecurity,
564,726 people are "destitute" or in need of emergency food
handouts. END SUMMARY.

Rain Patterns in Tanzania Have Been Erratic
--------------

3. (SBU) For the past three years, rainfall has been
erratic
in many parts of Tanzania, impacting food production,
livestock and water levels in lakes and rivers. On
February
13, Prime Minister Lowassa explained to heads of missions
and
development agencies that as early as August 2005, the
Prime
Minister's Office, in collaboration with the Food Security
Information Team (FSIT),began a Rapid Vulnerability
Assessment (RVA) to determine the total population
vulnerable
to food shortage and the amount of food assistance
required.
The FSIT team comprised various stakeholders including
experts from the Prime Minister's Office, Ministry of
Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, World Food

Program, the Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS
NET),
etc. The August-September 2005 assessment indicated that
more than 600,000 people in 35 districts were food insecure
and would need a total of 21,499 metric tons of maize to
last
from November 2005 to January 2006. In response, the GOT
approved the distribution of 21,499 metric tons of maize
from
its Strategic Grain Reserves to the affected districts.

Follow-up Assessment in January 2006
--------------

4. (SBU) In the face of continuing drought, Lowassa
explained
that the FSIT undertook a follow-up field assessment from
January 22 to February 3, 2006, deploying 20 teams to 77
districts located in 17 different regions of the country.
The assessment showed that Tanzania's food shortage is both
acute and widespread, affecting 77 districts which is 85
percent of all districts in Tanzania. The RVA estimated
that
3,764,843 persons are suffering from food insecurity and
need
assistance of approximately 100,000 metric tons to last up
to
the next harvest in May 2006. Out of the 3.7 million
people
identified as "food insecure," an estimated 564,726 people
were determined "destitute" or in need of emergency food
handouts of about 15,000 metric tons.


5. (SBU) The hardest hit regions in terms of "destitution"
or
people in need of emergency food handouts are: Shinyanga -
112,990 people; Tabora - 77,006 people; Mwanza - 74,266
people; Dodoma - 54,516 people; Arusha - 33,371 people; and
Singida -29,259 people. As of February 14, 2006, Tanzania
had a Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR) of 56,620 metric tons
(MT); this will be distributed to food insecure groups from
mid-February 2006.

Requests to Donors
--------------

6. (SBU) PM Lowassa and FM Migiro officially requested that
the heads of missions and development agencies consider
assistance in three key areas:

(i) contribution of food relief up to 100,000 MT
of grain (including replenishing some of
the depleted SGR);
(ii) provision of 3,434 MT seed assistance (various
types depending on agro-ecological zones)
(iii) transfer of skills and technology to improve
agricultural productivity particularly in the area
of irrigation.


7. (SBU) Both Prime Minister Lowassa and Foreign Minster
Migiro identified the major cause of Tanzania's current
food
crisis as the failure of short rains from September through
December 2005, causing crop failure and livestock
deterioration. They also highlighted other key factors
behind the Tanzania's widespread food insecurity including
rising food prices and a deficit of seeds in the affected
areas. According to the RVA, food shortages in adjacent
countries, including Burundi, Malawi, Zambia and the DRC,
have exacerbated the rising maize prices. Maize continues
to
be exported across Tanzania's long porous borders in small
quantities, but at a high frequency, to neighboring
countries.

Serious Armyworm Threat Looming
--------------

8. (SBU) While the appeal to donors from high level GOT
officials focused on drought as the causal factor in
Tanzania's food shortage, a secondary issue that could also
be a serious threat to the food supply is widespread
reports
of armyworm outbreaks--a serious pest of staple crops such
as
maize and rice. Working level officials in the GOT
Ministry
of Agriculture are concerned that the annual appearance of
this crop pest could be the most severe in more than a
decade. The USAID mission staff in Tanzania and USAID
regional officials from REDSO/Nairobi are meeting in Arusha
beginning February 15 to assess the extent of the armyworm
infestation threat and if USG assistance might be needed to
mitigate the pest's impact on Tanzania's food crops.

COMMENT
--------------

9. (SBU) In post's view, the minimum amount of food needed
by
the GOT immediately to get through this food shortage
crisis
is approximately 42,000 metric tons (MT). However, the GOT
has requested 100,000 MT to be able to replenish the
country's Strategic Grain Reserves that the government has
already begun to tap into to alleviate hunger in the most
severely affected areas. The GOT has also made known that
the government would welcome cash contributions to assist
with the transportation and distribution of food. On
February 14, the Belgian government pledged USD 250,000 to
purchase food while the VodaCom Communications company
pledged USD 1 million in cash assistance to be used by the
GOT as needed to alleviate the food shortage.


10. (SBU) Post is concerned about further depletion of
Tanzania's food supply due to severe outbreaks of armyworm.
We will continue to closely monitor both the findings of
the
USAID team now on the ground in Arusha and the Ministry of
Agriculture's internal assessment of next steps to mitigate
this threat.
WHITE