Over 157,000 need food relief

From The Citizen Daily, Dar es Salaam
By Hassan Mghenyi

Over 1.57 million people in 63 districts in 15 regions need free and subsidized food from the government beginning this November, revealed by the September 2009 Rapid Vulnerability Assessment.

According to the report published last October by the Famine Early Warning System Network says that the affected population expected to need food assistance amounting to 56,740 tonnes, from available in-country stocks.

Out of this amount, 5,674 tonnes are recommended for free distribution to 156,989 poor people, and the remaining 51,066 tonnes are for subsidized sales beginning in November 2009 to 1,412,901 people who cannot buy food at market prices.

The most affected regions include Arusha (277,653 people), Manyara (166,093), Dodoma (259,190), Tanga (177,460), Kilimanjaro (122,427), Mtwara (90,135), Mara (98,233, Shinyanga (79,866), Mwanza (71,620) and Morogoro (63,399).

Read full story >> - click on the headline.