Tanzania: 2 Dead in Flash Floods Triggered By Tropical Cyclone Hidaya in Southern Tanzania

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Tanzania: 2 Dead in Flash Floods Triggered By Tropical Cyclone Hidaya in Southern Tanzania

Dar es Salaam, May 7 (Xinhua) — At least two people have been killed by flash floods triggered by tropical cyclone Hidaya in Kilwa district in the Lindi region in southern Tanzania, an official has said.

Kilwa district commissioner Mohamed Nyundo said on Monday that 39 people have been trapped in wetlands as district authorities were working closely with the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force to rescue them.

The flash floods that hit the Lindi region overnight on Saturday washed away four bridges along the highway between the port city of Dar es Salaam and the southern regions of Lindi and Mtwara. As a result, the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force shut down the highway on Sunday.

Minister of Works Innocent Bashungwa ordered the Tanzania National Roads Agency to renovate the damaged bridges within 72 hours beginning Sunday.

Tropical cyclone Hidaya unleashed the devastation hours before it completely lost its strength after its landfall on Mafia Island earlier on Saturday.

Source: allafrica.com

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Reli tatu kufungamanishwa Tanzania, gharama usafirishaji kupungua

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Dodoma. Kilio cha gharama za usafirishaji wa mizigo, mfumuko wa bei na uharibifu wa barabara nchini, Serikali imevipatia ufumbuzi kwa kufungamanisha reli zote tatu za MGR (ya zamani), Tazara na reli ya kisasa (SGR) kupitia Kidatu mkoani Mogororo.

Mpango huo ni moja ya kazi zitakazotekelezwa na Wizara ya Uchukuzi kwa mwaka wa fedha 2024/25.

Tangu ubinafsishaji wa Shirika la Reli Tanzania (TRC) na shughuli za uendeshaji wa huduma za usafiri wa reli kuchukuliwa na kampuni ya RITES ya India kwa kipindi cha miaka 25, kampuni hiyo haikuweza kufanya vizuri na Serikali iliamua kusitisha mkataba wa ukodishwaji mwaka 2010 na kuanzia Julai 22, 2011 kampuni ilirudi mikononi mwa Serikali kwa umiliki wa asilimia 100.

Lakini hali usafiri haikuwa nzuri na mizigo mingi ilisafiri kwa malori huku abiria wakitumia mabasi.

Wizara ya Uchukuzi leo Jumatatu, Mei 6, 2024 imeliomba Bunge kuidhinisha Sh2.7 trilioni kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kawaida na uekelezaji wa miradi ya maendeleo. Kati ya fedha hizo Sh114.7 bilioni ni kwa ajili ya matumizi ya kawaida na Sh2.6 trilioni ni kwa ajili ya utekelezaji wa miradi ya maendeleo.

Wazi wa Uchukuzi, Profesa Makame Mbarawa ameliambia Bunge katika mwaka wa fedha 2023/24, wizara hiyo ilitengewa Sh1.9 trilioni kwa ajili ya kutekeleza miradi ya maendeleo na hadi kufikia Machi, 2024 Sh1.7 trilioni sawa na asilimia 89.12 ya bajeti ya Maendeleo iliyoidhinishwa zilitolewa.

Amesema katika mwaka ujao wa fedha Serikali itaanza kutekeleza mkakati wa kuhakikisha SGR inaanza kufanya kazi na kujiendesha kibiashara.

“Lengo la Serikali ni kutoendelea kutumia ruzuku kuendesha reli ya SGR mara baada ya kukamilika,” amesema.

Profesa Mbarawa amesema ili kufikia azma hiyo, miongoni mwa hatua zitakaochukuliwa na Serikali ni kufungamanisha reli zote tatu za MGR, Tazara na SGR kupitia kituo cha usafirshaji cha Kidadu (Kidatu Transhipment).

“Reli zote hizo zitawasiliana kwa kuweka ‘Gantry Crane Storage Facilities’ pamoja na kuimarisha reli ya Morogoro, Kilosa hadi Kidatu kilometa 108. Uunganishaji huu utawezesha usafirishaji wa mizigo kutoka kusini mwa Afrika mpaka mikoa yote ya Tanzania pamoja na nchi jirani.

“Kufungamanisha Bandari Kavu za Kwala, Isaka, Bandari za Mwanza na Kigoma na hatimaye Bandari za Dar es Salaam na Tanga kwa kuunganishwa na MGR na SGR,” amesema Profesa Mbarawa.

“Njia hii pamoja na manufaa mengine itaongeza wigo wa matumizi ya reli kwa mizigo ya ndani pamoja na inayotoka na kuingia nchini,” amesema Profesa Mbarawa.

Amesema tofauti na ilivyozoeleka Tanzania imekuwa ikitegemea mizigo inayoletwa kutoka nje ya nchi, hivyo ili kuhakikisha kuwa kunakuwa na upatikanaji wa mizigo ndani ya nchi, Serikali kupitia Wizara itatekeleza mkakati wa kuchochea upatikanaji wa mizigo kwa kuhamasisha shoroba za kiuchumi.

Profesa Mbarawa amesema kwa kushirikiana na wadau mbalimbali wakiwemo Taasisi ya Ushoroba wa Kati (Central Corridor Transit Transport Facilitation Agency – CCTTFA), Mfuko wa Chakula Duniani (WFP), na Watumiaji wakubwa wa Bandari za Tanzania wa ndani na nje wamebaini Shoroba kubwa tatu ambazo zitaweza kuchochea upatikanaji wa mizigo ndani ya nchi.

“Shoroba zilizobainishwa kuwezesha upatikanaji ni Ushoroba wa Baridi ambao utahamasisha mizigo ya nyama, samaki, matunda, mboga na maua; Ushoroba wa Njano kwa ajili ya mizigo ya madini; na Ushoroba wa Kichele ambao utahusisha mizigo mingine, hususan mizigo mikubwa pamoja na mizigo ya viwandani na kilimo ikiwemo pembejeo.

Amesema utekelezaji wa mkakati huu utawezesha kupatikana kwa mizigo mingi ndani ya nchi na kuwezesha TRC kuingia makubaliano na kampuni kubwa na wateja wa muda mrefu.

“Hatua hii itawezesha TRC pia kuendelea kuratibu usafirishaji kwa kutumia wabia wa sekta binafsi kupitia utaratibu wa Open Access,”alisema.

Vipaumbele vya Wizara

Profesa Mbarawa aliliambia Bunge vipaumbele vya wizara kwa mwaka wa fedha 2024/2025, vinajumuisha kuendeleza ujenzi na uendeshaji wa SGR na kuboresha miundombinu ya reli ya MGR na CGR, pamoja na ununuzi wa vifaa.

Amesema pia Wizara itaboresha uendeshaji wa ATCL, kuimairisha miundombinu ya viwanja vya ndege na kujenga viwanja vipya, kuimarisha usafiri, usalama na mawasiliano katika maziwa makuu nchini.

Kuhusu usafiri wa ardhini, alisema Serikali itaendelea kuimarisha usalama, udhibiti na utoaji wa huduma za usafiri na usafirishaji wa abiria na mizigo, kuboresha miundombinu na uendeshaji wa bandari nchini ikiwa ni pamoja na uendelezaji wa bandari kavu.

Profesa Mbarawa alizungumzia changamoto katika utekelezaji wa majukumu yao kwa mwaka 2023/24, Wizara ya Uchukuzi inakabiliwa na changamoto mbalimbali.

“Baadhi ya changamoto hizo na mikakati ya kuzitatua ni mahitaji makubwa ya fedha za utekelezaji wa miradi mingi ya uchukuzi kuhitaji fedha nyingi (capital intensive) katika utekelezaji wake.

“Mathalan, mradi wa SGR utagharimu takriban Sh23 trilioni hadi kukamilika kwake,” alisema.

Alisema mkakati wa kulitekeleza hilo ni kuendelea kuhamasisha sekta binafsi kutekeleza baadhi ya miradi inayohitaji uwekezaji mkubwa na hivyo kupunguza gharama kwa Serikali.

Maoni ya wabunge

Wakichangia mjadala wa bajeti hiyo, Mbunge wa Segerea (CCM) jijini Dar es Salaam, Bonnah Kamoli alisema mradi wa SGR umefunga barabara kwa zaidi ya miaka miwili na nusu na kusababisha shida kwa wananchi, wakiwamo wafanyabishara.

Pia, amesema mradi huo umesababisha maji kujaa kwenye makazi ya watu na amemuomba Waziri Mbarawa kulishughulikia tatizo hilo.

Kamoli pia amesema malipo ya fidia kwa wakazi wa Kipunguni waliopisha ujenzi wa uwanja wa ndege hayajalipwa na Serikali kwa takriban miaka 27 sasa huku, wakazi wake wakiishi kama wakimbizi ndani ya nchi yao.

Mbunge wa Nkasi (Chadema), Aidan Kenan amelalamikia kukosekana usafiri kwenye Ziwa Tanganyika akisema ni miaka minane sasa Wizara hiyo imekuwa ikiwataja kwenye vitabu lakini hakuna utekelezaji.

Kenan amesema kukosekana kwa meli ya mizigo kunaikosesha Serikali mapato kwa kuwa asilimia 60 ya mizigo kutoka Tanzania inakwenda Jamhuri ya Kidemokrasi ya Cong (DRC).

Naye mbunge wa Kilombero (CCM), Abubakar Asenga aliomba Wizara hiyo kulipa madeni ya wakandarasi kwa kuwa miradi mingi imekwama.

Amesema wameshuhudia kuwepo madeni ya wakandarasi maeneo mengi ya nchi na wanalalamika hawajalipwa na ameiomba Serikali ipunguze madeni yao ili sekta iweze kwenda vizuri.

Maoni ya Kamati

Mwenyekiti wa Kamati ya Kudumu ya Bunge Miundombinu, Moshi Kakoso akisoma maoni ya kamati alibainisha uchache wa fedha katika baadhi ya miradi ulivoyosababisha kusuasua kwa miradi hiyo.

Ameutaja mradi wa ujenzi wa Kituo cha Kikanda cha Kuratibu Utafutaji na Uokoaji Majini (MRCC) kwamba unatakiwa kukamilika ifikapo Novemba, 2024, lakini hadi kufikia Machi, 2024 fedha iliyolipwa kutekeleza mradi ilikuwa Sh953.9 bilioni sawa na asilimia 20 tu.

“Mapokezi yasiyoridhisha ya fedha za mradi, kwa sehemu kubwa yameathiri utekelezaji wa mradi ambapo hadi Kamati inafika uwandani kwa ajili ya ukaguzi, ujenzi wa mradi ulikuwa ni asilimia 10.

Kakoso aliutaja ujenzi wa mradi wa SGR kipande cha tano (Isaka- Mwanza) kwamba hadi kamati inatembelea Machi, 2024, Serikali ilikuwa imeshafanya malipo kwa Mkandarasi ya Sh1.3 trilioni sawa na asilimia 40.53 ya gharama za mradi huku maendeleo ya mradi yakiwa yamefikia asilimia 54.01.Continue Reading

Tanzania: Kenya and Tanzania Face ‘Humanitarian Crisis’ Amid Disastrous Floods

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The death toll from weeks of devastating rains and floods had risen to 228 in Kenya, as authorities in the country and in neighbouring Tanzania warned that there was no sign of a let-up in the crisis.

Kenya and neighbouring Tanzania escaped major damage from a tropical cyclone that weakened after making landfall on Saturday, but the rains continue to pour.

The country continued to endure torrential downpours and the risk of further floods and landslides, the government in Nairobi said.

In western Kenya, the River Nyando burst its banks in the early hours of Sunday, engulfing a police station, school, hospital and market in the town of Ahero in Kisumu County, police said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties but local police said water levels were still rising and that the main bridge outside Kisumu on the highway to Nairobi was submerged.

Weeks of heavier than usual seasonal rains, compounded by the El Nino weather pattern, have wreaked chaos in many parts of East Africa, a region highly vulnerable to climate change.

More than 400 people have been killed and several hundred thousand uprooted from their homes in several countries as floods and mudslides swamp houses, roads and bridges.

Schools closed

Schools remain closed, one of RFI’s correspondent reported. Children will be able to catch up on classes, the Education minister told her.

“It’s a serious situation and we should not take it lightly,” Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Mwaura said at a briefing on the crisis on Sunday.

In a statement, Kenya’s interior ministry said further flooding was “expected in low lying areas, riparian areas and urban areas while landslides/mudslides may occur in areas with steep slopes, escarpments and ravines.”

President William Ruto went to the area of Mathare in the capital to reassure the population.

Mathare, Nairobi County. https://t.co/hSVgAb6tj1— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) May 6, 2024

Concerns of ‘wider humanitarian crisis’

Across the border, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority declared that Tropical Cyclone Hidaya, which had threatened to pile on more misery, had “completely lost its strength” after making landfall on Mafia Island on Saturday.

“Therefore, there is no further threat of Tropical Cyclone ‘Hidaya’ in our country,” it said.

Tanzania remains one of the countries worst hit by the floods, with 155 people dead since early April.

In Kenya, while the cyclone had weakened, it had caused strong winds and waves on the coast and heavy rains were likely to intensify from later Sunday, Mwaura added.

One fisherman had perished and another was missing.

Across the nation, the disaster has claimed the lives of 228 people since March with 72 still missing, according to government figures.

More than 212,000 people have been displaced, with Mwuara saying many were “forcibly or voluntarily” evacuated.

The government has ordered anyone living near major rivers or dams to leave the area or face “mandatory evacuation for their safety”, with many dams or reservoirs threatening to overflow.

Mwaura also warned of the risk of waterborne diseases, with one case of cholera reported as well as incidents of diarrhoea.

Forecasts of more rains raised “serious concerns” about a “wider humanitarian crisis”, Jagan Chapagain, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), wrote on social media.

The current devastating floods in Kenya exacerbate the existing humanitarian challenges in the country where millions are already grappling with acute food insecurity due to prolonged drought. Over two-thirds of the counties affected by the floods are already experiencing… pic.twitter.com/xAhKtYD92F— Jagan Chapagain (@jagan_chapagain) May 5, 2024

The Kenyan government has been accused of being unprepared and slow to respond to the crisis despite weather warnings, with the main opposition Azimio party calling for it to be declared a national disaster.

The weather picture remained “dire”, President Ruto said in an address to the nation on Friday, blaming the calamitous cycle of drought and floods on a failure to protect the environment.

In the deadliest single incident in Kenya, 58 people perished when a dam burst on Monday near Mai Mahiu in the Rift Valley north of Nairobi, the interior ministry said.

Several dozen remain missing.

Rescuers are also hunting for 13 people still missing after a boat capsized in Tana River County, killing seven, the ministry said.

(with newswires)

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzania closes major highway after floods wash away bridges

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xhua

By XINHUA

Tanzania’s 396-kilometre highway connecting the port city of Dar es Salaam and southern regions of Lindi and Mtwara was shut down on Sunday after flash floods washed away at least four main bridges.

“The highway has been closed until further notice,” Joseph Mwasabeja, the Tanzania Fire and Rescue Force commander for Lindi region, told Xinhua when reached on phone.

Mr Mwasabeja said the flash floods were triggered by an overnight heavy downpour caused by the tropical cyclone Hidaya before it completely lost its strength after its landfall on Mafia Island earlier on Saturday.

He said the floods washed away bridges over Mbwemkuru, Somanga, Mikereng’ende and Matandu rivers in Kilwa district in Lindi region.

Mohamed Nyundo, Kilwa district commissioner, said the floods also submerged several houses in seven villages, displacing scores of villagers and damaging hundreds of hectares of farm crops.

Read: East Africa braces for hunger, diseases as floods destroy farmland, livelihoods

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On Saturday night, the Tanzania Meteorological Authority declared that tropical cyclone Hidaya had completely lost its strength following its landfall on Mafia Island earlier on Saturday.

The tropical cyclone was forecast to hit the country’s Indian Ocean coast regions of Mtwara, Lindi, Coast, Tanga and Dar es Salaam.

At least 155 people have lost their lives in flood and landslides-related incidents in the country.

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Africa: AllAfrica Joins Forces with Ubuntu Tribe to Unveil the Revolutionary Ubuntuverse at the Media Leaders’ Summit

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The 2024 edition of the AllAfrica Media Leaders’ Summit, May 8-10 in Nairobi, Kenya, will feature innovations to leverage the ever-changing media landscape revolutionized by emerging technologies like a digital approach to public debate, innovations from the Newsroom Innovation Youth Challenge, artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and a specialized metaverse from Ubuntu Tribe.

During this pivotal event, AllAfrica and technology pioneer Ubuntu Tribe will introduce the “Ubuntuverse,” a state-of-the-art metaverse platform designed to bridge cultures and accelerate educational and technological engagement across Africa. This partnership marks a significant milestone in digital media and technological integration, fostering a new era of innovation and connectivity.

Founder and CEO of Ubuntu Tribe, Mamadou Kwidjim Toure, “We are thrilled to partner with AllAfrica to present the Ubuntuverse at this year’s summit. This collaboration is more than a technological venture; it’s a cultural bridge. The Ubuntuverse is designed to foster a community that thrives on mutual respect and collective progress, using technology to empower and unite.”

Dr. Tendai Mhizha, AllAfrica Senior Advisor said  “The partnership with Ubuntu Tribe comes at a crucial time. As we tackle the challenges of misinformation in our digital age, the connected technologies we are showcasing, especially the Ubuntuverse, provide transformative tools for factual reporting and cultural exchange. This is a leap forward in our mission to inform and empower.”

Amadou Mahtar Ba, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of AllAfrica added “ As technologies become more and more available and impact progress in Africa, it is crucial for media leaders to experiment and  understand  the positive changes these innovation can bring to the continent and how their industry will be hugely transformed. The partenship with Ubuntu Tribe marks a significant step towards mobilizing new technologies and funding for media in Africa.”

Ubuntu Tribe backed by 500 Global leading Silicon Valley VC Firm, is a global pioneer, continuing to break new ground in the realm of Real World Asset Tokenization of resources and assets. One of the first to launch GIFT (Gold International Fungible Token) backed 1:1 by real gold and made available from 1mg, as well as Utribe Wallet, hosting GIFT and future Real World Assets, currently available on AppStore and Googleplay. As a leading innovator and technology partner featuring The Ubuntuverse at this year’s AllAfrica Summit, it represents the next step in the journey—creating immersive, interactive platforms where innovation in technology like AI and blockchain enhances the understanding of the world to unify communities and information in a new era. This approach aligns seamlessly with Ubuntu Tribe’s mission of shared prosperity and financial inclusion through accessible, blockchain and AI-powered asset classes.

About AllAfrica and Ubuntu Tribe LLC

AllAfrica is a voice of, by, and about Africa – aggregating, producing, and distributing news and information in English and French languages from over 130 African news organizations and our own reporters to an African and global public. AllAfrica operates the largest online platform dedicated solely to Africa-related news and information and is the only news site with truly Pan-African reach. AllAfrica’s multi-channel platform is the only independent, comprehensive pan-African news source, with unrivalled reach and reputation. AllAfrica is the go-to one-stop digital platform for African and African-interested ‘influentials’ across the continent and throughout the world.

Ubuntu Tribe LLC is revolutionizing the financial landscape by providing universal access to tokenized natural resources. Starting with gold, our platform offers secure, blockchain-powered investment products that represent real-world assets. Our approach integrates ethical sourcing with innovative technology, fostering economic empowerment and environmental stewardship globally. Ubuntu Tribe is not only pioneering in decentralized finance but also driving the new frontier in Real World Asset Tokenization, offering transformative solutions for a more equitable world.

For further information and media inquiries, please contact:

Melissa Sequeira, CMO, Ubuntu Tribe

Email: melissa@utribe.one   Phone: +4917685313133

Source: allafrica.com

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East Africa braces for hunger, diseases as floods destroy farmland, livelihoods

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By LUKE ANAMI

The East African region is staring at a looming food shortage after extreme rains and floods unleashed a wave of destruction, killing people, injuring others, ruining infrastructure and destroying farmlands in the food basket regions.

Heavier-than-usual rains, compounded by the El Nino weather phenomenon, have devastated Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, engulfing villages and threatening to inflict more pain in the weeks to come.

The floods have impacted agriculture, transport, health, education, and tourism, which was just emerging out of the Covid-induced slump.

Kenya has especially been battered in the past month, with President William Ruto on Friday announcing that at least 210 people have died.

The country’s National Disaster Operations Centre reported that by the end of April, some 4,824 livestock had died, 27,717 acres of cropland damaged, 264 small businesses and 24 schools affected.

rains

Residents stand near an uprooted tree after heavy flash floods wiped out several homes when a dam burst, following heavy rains in Kamuchiri village of Mai Mahiu in Nakuru County, Kenya on April 29, 2024. PHOTO | REUTERS

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President Ruto on Friday deferred the reopening of schools indefinitely as the government battled the impact of the rains and braced for further crisis with the anticipated landfall of the cyclone Hidaya, which is expected to cause torrential rains, strong winds and dangerous waves and disrupt activities in the Indian Ocean and the Coast region.

Read: Kenya weather outlook ‘dire’ as cyclone nears

But the Kenyan meteorological department seemed to downplay the devastation the cyclone may have.

Kenya Red Cross reported at least 132 people missing, 23,511 households displaced and 43,888 others affected by the crisis.

There is a risk of disease outbreaks and vulnerable groups need accommodation and access to essential services at a time the government says it is establishing camps for the affected.

“To support disaster response and mitigation efforts across the country, the Treasury has been directed to provide adequate resources and work with other development partners to provide for the purchase and supply of food, medical and other non-food items,” President Ruto said on Friday.

Those evacuated cannot return to their homes or earn a living for a long time, and governments have found themselves with a new burden of seeking aid for those hit in different ways.

“The consequences of the disaster go beyond the immediate material hardship – they can exacerbate societal issues,” says the UN Relief Web.

“In the regions of Kenya affected by the floods, for example, there are already conflicts over grazing land, intensified by several years of drought in East Africa. The floods now pose an additional threat to the livelihoods of the population groups living from pasture farming, increasing the risk of violent conflicts over scarce resources.”

Read: Floods leave trail of death and destruction

“Contact between humans and wild animals is also increasing – for example, snakes and crocodiles are more likely to inhabit flooded landscapes. The collapse of sanitation systems – water supply and wastewater disposal – can have unforeseeable consequences: in 2019, a cholera epidemic followed the floods caused by El Niño. Stagnant water in many places is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes that can transmit malaria. Even before the flooding, the countries in the region were already struggling with local outbreaks of cholera and measles.”

Countries in the region are bracing for hunger, as agricultural activities have been disrupted and crops destroyed.

damagedhomes

A drone view shows damaged houses after heavy flash floods wiped out several homes when a dam burst, following heavy rains in Kamuchiri village of Mai Mahiu in Nakuru County, Kenya on April 29, 2024. PHOTO | REUTERS

In Tanzania, on which the region depends for food, officials have estimated a 30 percent drop in food production.

This year’s report by the World Economic Forum says extreme weather events could become the biggest global risk over the next decade. It predicts that by 2050, the climate crisis could cause an additional 14.5 million deaths, $12.5 trillion in economic losses and $1.1 trillion in extra costs to healthcare systems around the globe.

“Floods pose the highest acute risk of climate-induced deaths. Floods could take as many as 8.5 million people’s lives by 2050,” the report says.

Besides food shortages, the damaged roads pose a new challenge in transportation of goods in a region that is a net importer of a wide range of items, including food.

The rains have also caused significant damage to critical infrastructure, including roads, and bridges, cutting off access to many areas. In addition, floods have dramatically affected people’s mental health as they cope with the loss of homes and livelihoods.

“The ongoing rains have caused great human suffering and immense damage to infrastructure. We are yet to assess the cost of damage,” Kipchumba Murkomen, Kenya’s Roads and Transport Cabinet Secretary, told The EastAfrican.

Read: Underwater: Kenyans in agony amid heavy floods

Many roads in Nairobi have been temporarily closed, including major routes such as the Namanga Road that connects Kenya and Tanzania.

Tanzania is staring at more than 100,000 acres of damaged cropland. Agriculture minister Hussein Bashe said his ministry would issue a report later and declined further comment.

In a statement to Parliament on April 25, Prime Minister Kasim Majaliwa said more than 200,000 people and 51,000 households had been affected by rains and flooding since January.

Yet two years ago the country was feeding East Africa and launched an ambitious food surplus creation scheme titled the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania, which uses 350,000 hectares in the country’s fertile southern highlands to grow maize, paddy, wheat, sorghum, millet, cassava, beans, sweet potatoes and bananas.

The Bank of Tanzania said the country held 214,968 tonnes of food stocks in the National Food Reserve Agency in 2022. It opened grain storage facilities in Lubumbashi and DR Congo, and in Juba, South Sudan, to facilitate the sale of surplus food.

“The deficit-producing countries of Kenya, South Sudan, Somalia, Rwanda, and Burundi are expected to import maize, albeit at a lower level, from Uganda, Tanzania, and Ethiopia to meet their deficit. Competition for the tradable surplus within the region will likely direct more flows to Kenya and the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the purchasing power and prices are relatively higher. Still, proximity to major producing areas will incentivise flows from western and southwestern Uganda to Rwanda, northern Uganda to South Sudan, and eastern Tanzania to Burundi,” the report said.

Read: At least 2m Kenyans in need of food assistance

Maize prices were expected to follow seasonal trends across all countries but generally remain lower than 2023 due to increased domestic supply, “except in Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Somalia, because of localized areas of below-average production, conflict-related disruptions in supply, and persistent inflation.”

Prices are expected to remain higher than average in most countries because of high production, fuel, and transport costs. The prices are expected to be lower than average in Uganda and Tanzania because of increased domestic supply and lower shortfalls in deficit countries.

Tanzania is expected to remain the primary source of locally produced rice exports to Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, and Uganda due to a sizeable tradable surplus, well-developed supply chain, and aromatic rice with high water absorption. In Uganda, locally produced rice is expected to be significantly below average since the total ban on rice production in the Wetlands in February 2022.

The dry bean trade will likely be concentrated between Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. Tanzania and Uganda are expected to be the primary exporters as better rainfall in 2023 increased production and lowered prices despite localised crop damage, Fews Net said.

Now, the rains will impact both production and cost of food, especially maize, beans, wheat and other cereals in the East African Community as each partner state assesses the impact of floods on its food security.

maize

Workers spread dry maize in Nakuru County, Kenya on May 11, 2023. PHOTO | NMG

Abdi Dubat, Kenya’s Principal Secretary in the EAC ministry, said: “We are talking to each other and we are handling issues first at the national level. The severity of floods, damage costs is unique to each country and, just like Tanzania, Kenya is so much affected.”

An April 2024 World Bank Food and Security Update shows that domestic food price inflation remains high in low- and middle-income countries.

Read: Global economy slows on low trade, inflation

The situation is likely to get worse by natural calamities such as the current floods in the region.

“Domestic food price inflation, measured as year-on-year change in the food component of a country’s Consumer Price Index (CPI), remains high,” the World Bank report dated April 25, 2024 reads.

“In East and Southern Africa, food insecurity… continues to rise because of ongoing conflicts and extreme weather events. An estimated 75 million people will be food insecure by October 2024.”

The World Bank is worried that floods could significantly reduce the ability to increase maize production in a region, which is already facing a shortage.

Tourism, an important foreign exchange earner and one of the sectors expected to shore up the tanking economise, has been hard hit.

Last week, staff and visitors were stranded in the world-famous Maasai Mara National Reserve, which links with Serengeti in Tanzania.

Local authorities had some tourist facilities in the reserve closed after River Talek, one of the tributaries of the Mara River, burst its banks and swept through more than a dozen riverside tourist lodges and camps.

In Tanzania, fishing activities in Lake Victoria have also been affected by the rising levels of the lake. At least 50 houses were submerged and more than 300 people displaced on Ukerewe Island in the Mwanza Region. Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) warned that more rains were expected.

In the commercial capital Dar es Salaam several bridges linking the city and its suburbs were swept away causing traffic jams with many productive hours lost on the road.

In Rwanda, Disasters triggered by heavy rains, including landslides and lightning, have killed at least 49 people and injured 79 in the past two months, an official said on Thursday.

Read: Rwanda heavy rains kill 10 people

The minister in charge of Emergency Management Albert Murasira told the national television channel that the government has evacuated about 5,000 residents from high-risk zones to safer areas across the country.

The disasters also destroyed infrastructure, including homes, bridges, school buildings, road networks, and hectares of plantations. The Rwanda Meteorology Agency has warned that several parts would experience heavy rains in the first 10 days of May.

in Uganda, flash floods and cut off major roads, paralysing movement in the mineral-rich and cattle-keeping regions.

Trucks transporting marble from the area have had to go through Kenya to deliver the raw material used for cement manufacturing in Tororo.

On Tuesday the 92km Muyembe—Nakapiripirit road was also cut off after Chepskunya Bridge in Bulambuli was washed away.

According to the National Meteorological Authority (UNMA) projects the heavy rains in the coming weeks could trigger more landslides, flash floods, and destruction of roads and bridges.

Maize, millet, groundnuts, potatoes, cassava, and vegetables farms have also been destroyed by floods, leaving households at the risk of hunger.

In Buteja, eastern Uganda, the floods, which damaged crops after River Nakwasi and Manafwa burst their banks, with some farmers opting to uproot their cassava and sweet potato crops to save them from rotting.

As of January 9, 2023, the World Food Program (WFP) Hunger Map showed that 16.4 million Ugandans were at the risk of hunger.

UNMA spokesperson Lillian Nkwenge projects all regions in the country will experience heavy rains in the coming weeks, amid rising lake and river water levels.

Uganda’s State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Relief, and Refugees Lilian Aber says the government is ready to respond to any disaster that may arise from heavy rains but action will only be taken if indeed disaster strikes.

Additional reporting by Emmanuel Onyango, Kabona Esiara and Xinhua

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