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 
-------- 
¶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