Feature: Hunger looms in Northern Tanzania flood-hit district

Hanang is one of the five districts in northern Tanzania's region of Manyara, which was hardly hit by the recent flash floods.

The impact of floods is still in the memories of hundreds of small-scale farmers in the district, which was named after Mount Hanang, the last and most southerly of the volcanoes in the Rift valley of northern Tanzania and the fourth highest mountain in Tanzania.

A 71-year-old Sulle Ginanai is one of farmers who were highly affected by the floods. He couldn't save anything from his five acres of cereal crops he planted early this year, which were swept by the flash floods.

The old man has described the floods as the worst he has ever seen in the area, located more than 200 kilometers from the Tanzania's northern safari capital of Arusha.

"We are not expecting anything from our farms this year. I don't know how I am going to survive the entire year without anything in my granary," Ginanai told Xinhua.

He projects that hunger was looming in the district, where more than 900 acres of farmland in the district have washed away, the situation that puts thousands of people in the area to be on the verge of a food crisis.

Reuben John is a Manyara-based environmentalist, who said the recent flash floods were a result of rampant tree felling in the area, which in the past was covered with forests.

"The land is almost bare, because of environmental degradation. Our message has been clear as most of the time as we're urging farmers to be environmental sensitive when doing their farming activities," he said, suggesting the need for farmers to venture into conservation farming or non-tillage farming.

"This will make farmers safe from floods," said Reuben, who works with Tanzanian Community Forestry Network.

"We are encouraging farmers to get out from traditional farming by embracing new farming techniques-conservation farming which has multiple benefits-conserve the environment as well as improving yields," said Dominick Ringo, who is a researcher with the Arusha-based NGO-Research Community and Organization Development Associates (RECODA).

Hanang District Commissioner, Thobias Mwilapwa said that in the torrential rains which started since February, this year, destroyed everything in people's farms.

"The floods have caused severe soil erosion in the area," the DC said.

So far, according to Mwilapwa, the floods have caused relentless loss since many residents have also been left homeless and are now supported by their relatives.

The infrastructure has been damaged and some of the roads have been rendered impassable.

DC Mwilapwa said: "The floods have caused a great loss as of today. I was supposed to attend a public meeting in Mulbadaw Ward, but I have failed to be there because the road is extensively damaged."

Reports said that floods also killed 68 livestock, as well as destroying stored maize worth millions of Tanzanian shillings.

"We are waiting for relief food from the Prime Minister's Office. Some of the residents have helped the victims of the floods," the DC said.

In order to prevent famine, authorities in the district called residents to grow the crops which can sustain droughts such as sorghum, cassava, potatoes and other crops. Enditem