| November
2004
The drought in Ngorongoro
The people of Malambo, like many in Tanzania, currently
are facing serious food shortages in one of the worst droughts in
30 years.
Drought has caused crops to fail, and a shortage of
pasture for livestock. This has led to a dramatic rise in the price
of maize, while at the same time, prices paid for animals that are
sold has plummeted. All of these things have made it almost impossible,
during the last year, for families to have enough to eat.
People have had to take their livestock further away
from their homes, for long periods of time, in search of pasture
and water. When animals are hungry, they produce less milk, so that
has also been in short supply. The struggle to find enough food
and water just to survive has overshadowed all other activities
for these communities.
What Oxfam is doing
We have been distributing emergency maize supplies
in Ngorongoro District in response the current drought situation.
We have also helped to restore a piped water system to ease the
effect and by supporting local government veterinary officers, we're
providing emergency veterinary services where the need is greatest.
However the situation in Malambo remains precarious.
This video was taken some months ago. We will report
back on the drought, and how Oxfam is responding, in a future update.
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