The drought is decimating the agriculture and livestock. Rainfall has been declining over the past five years. This led to serious crop failures that necessitated food aid to sustain people s lives in these areas. There are only a few wells left still supplying water. J. Stephens from the Tanganyika Christina Refugee Service reports from the drought striken region.
Traffic begins to flow from at five in the morning.
One hears the thudding of hooves and the jangling of bells in the dark. A traffic jam builds up. By eight o clock, movement has come to a standstill, and there are more than a thousand heads of cattle in line at the Orkasmet water hole in the Arusha region in northern Tanzania. Awaiting their turn, the herds shelter at 100 meter intervals under a sparse shade of thorn trees radiating out in every direction from the water source, awaiting their turn. Clouds of dust on the distant horizon indicate more thirsty animals on their way.