Tanzania, May 20 -- Arusha|Manyara. "We had five cows and 10 goats. When the drought worsened, all the cows died and only five goats remained," said Helena Leiyan, a mother of four children who has been abandoned by her husband since 2021.

Helena, who lives in the village of Terrat in Simanjiro District, Manyara Region, says that as the drought worsened, her husband sold the remaining goats and disappeared.

She added: "Life became harder after he vanished. Before he fled he was working as a labourer on people's farms and doing other activities, but it wasn't enough. He had to leave without even saying goodbye."

"We don't know if he's alive or dead, and he never tried to contact us," added Ms Helena, who is the mother of four sons aged ...