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Description of the crisis
Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) in October 2023, predicted heavy rainfall caused by the dipole system of El Niño and the Indian Ocean. Heavy rains, floods, and landslides have occurred in more than 14 regions in Tanzania.
One of the worst incidents was the massive landslide near Mount Hanang in Manyara region, northern Tanzania, which affected 44,000 people and caused 89 deaths.
The rains persisted until early June 2024. The areas affected include Lindi, Arusha, Dar es Salaam, Kigoma, Kagera,
Morogoro, Mbeya, Kilimanjaro, Unguja, Geita, Manyara, and Pwani. The floods damaged houses, crops, infrastructure, and public utilities such as schools and hospitals. In his statement to the Parliament of Tanzania on April 25, the Prime Minister issued a statement detailing the number of deaths, injuries, and affected households (155 deaths and 236 injuries and affecting 200,000 people and 51,000 households).
In the Pwani and Morogoro regions alone, 76,700 hectares of farmland were affected by floods, and 10,800 households were displaced and took refuge in camps and temporary shelters. At the moment there are three Camps left, two from Kagera and one from Kibiti Pwani region providing services to students and teachers who have no access to schools. People's lives have been greatly affected, with a large number of people depending on agriculture and livestock. The current rains have since stopped in many regions so many families are slowly reuniting with their relatives.
In addition, Hidaya cyclone landed on 4 May 2024, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to the southern coast of Tanga, Dar es Salaam. Pwani, Morogoro, Lindi, Mtwara, and Zanzibar received heavy rains while some areas received more than 140 percent of the average monthly rainfall. The Tanzania Red Cross Society took early action, sending volunteers to help communities at risk prepare for the cyclone. An assessment of the immediate damage and the impact of the Hidaya cyclone was carried out in Pwani, Morogoro, Unguja, and Dar es Salaam. Preliminary reports indicate that the destruction of infrastructure, houses, and people's lives has exacerbated an already bad situation, especially in the Mafia district in Pwani and Ifakara district in Morogoro regions. In response to the flood situation in general, the Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS) has engaged 160 volunteers out of 415 who are expected to support activities in the region up to the end of December 2024.
The government has requested TRCS to step up its support, specifically to health, WASH, and food security sectors, and coordinate closely with the Disaster Department of the Prime Minister's Office.