CERF allocates US$ 3.4 million to Madagascar
14 May 2007: Madagascar is prone to natural disasters, including endemic drought, flooding and recurrent cyclones, regularly causing damage to the local communities, as well as setbacks of economic growth. The Humanitarian implications of these various natural disasters are particularly significant, since Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the World, ranking number 143 on the Human Development Index out of 177 countries.
![Tropical storms hit Madagascar [Photo: WFP]](/Portals/11/Images_country/MAD_WFP_floods_crop.jpg "Tropical storms hit Madagascar") |
| Tropical storms hit Madagascar [Photo: WFP] |
Seasonal food insecurity is not uncommon; however as the lean season coincides with the cyclone season (December-April), seasonal food insecurity is often aggravated by the effects of natural disasters, such as cyclones and floods. Moreover, coping strategies among vulnerable populations are limited.
Between 24 December 2006 and 26 February 2007, cyclones Bondo and Clovis, and the intense tropical storms Gamede and Favio, hit various regions of the country.
Two more cyclones, Indlala and Jaya, struck Madagascar on 15 March and 3 April, respectively. This year's unusually early and heavy rainy season brought excessive rains to most parts of the island.
These conditions contributed to extensive flooding in heavily populated and cultivated areas throughout the country, including the capital region, the northwest, the northeast, and the southeast. The food security situation has dramatically deteriorated, and the risk of maternal and child mortality linked to lack of access to services, and water- and vector-borne diseases, has increased. The situation could further deteriorate if timely assistance is not provided to address immediate needs and restore agricultural production and livelihoods before next year’s cyclone season.
As a result of the large-scale response since late December, in-country resources have been exhausted. In February, the Malagasy Government launched an appeal calling for international solidarity and assistance in meeting humanitarian needs stemming from the severe flooding and the lack of access to affected areas. At that time, the CERF allocated almost US$ 1 million to respond to the immediate life-saving needs.
In tandem with the Government’s appeal, the United Nations Country Team decided to launch a Flash Appeal, requesting the support of the international community. The Appeal was revised on 14 May 2007 to include the new needs created by cyclones Indlala and Jaya, plus refinement of information, needs assessment, and coordinated plans for the areas struck by the preceding storms.
The flooding situation has raised the risk of maternal and child mortality linked to lack of quality of services, and water-borne diseases including cholera across the island. In the southeast region of Vatovavay Fitovinany, 16 counties are facing production losses of up to 80% of the upcoming harvest. Immediate targeted food distribution is required to prevent an acute nutritional crisis among 125,235 affected individuals.
The cyclone Gamede, passing offshore Madagascar on 26 February, brought further heavy rains to the southeast of the country, where up to 80% of the population is subsistence farmers. Most families have lost the secondary harvest (January), and were entering the February to May lean season with little or no food reserves. The food insecurity in the August to November lean season will furthermore be increased, as predictions show that the principal May/June harvest will also be negatively impacted.
With the CERF grant, UNICEF is providing water and hygiene related non-food items to more than 32,000 people and constructing and improving emergency sanitation facilities for 38 camp sites in Antananarivo. UNICEF is also providing nutritional interventions to a total population of more than 278,000 individuals in the Vatovavy Fitovinany Region
WHO’s emergency health response seeks to reduce mortality and morbidity by ensuring accessibility of displaced persons to quality preventive and curative health services including immunization. WHO is seeking to control outbreaks of communicable diseases, with special attention to mosquito borne diseases, which is crucial due to the overcrowding and current poor living conditions.
The CERF grant is allowing UNFPA, in collaboration with its partners, to provide reproductive health services by implementing a minimum initial service package, which focuses specifically on prevention of excess neonatal and maternal morbidity and mortality.
FAO is providing seeds for the most flood impacted populations and coordinate agricultural relief interventions in order to ensure as little disruption to agricultural livelihood activities as possible. In most counties assessed, there is imminent food insecurity risk until at least end of May, with a potential failure of the principal rice harvest in June prolonging an already early lean season.
WFP has prepared a one-month Special Logistical Operation to provide helicopter support to reach the most isolated villages. One MI8 helicopter is needed for four weeks in order to move food and non-food relief items and humanitarian staff to isolated areas in Antsohihy and Ambanja districts. WFP and UNICEF have established a joint base in the northern district of Antsohihy to provide humanitarian assistance to the surrounding districts affected by flooding.
On 14 May 2007, the CERF allocated another US$ 2.4 million for mitigating the continuing worsening of the humanitarian situation, including grants for FAO and UNICEF to continue the attainment of the objectives listed above. WFP is providing urgent food-assistance to the affected population.
[Last Update: 23 May 2007]
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