Floods in the Northern Part of the Country and Drought in the South Resulted in Nearly 500,000 People in Need of Assistance
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUMANITARIAN / RESIDENT COORDINATOR ON THE USE OF CERF GRANTS Country Madagascar Humanitarian / Resident Coordinator Mr. Xavier Leus Reporting Period 1 January 2007- 12 August 2007 I. Executive Summary On the 20 February 2007, the Malagasy Government declared a national state of emergency in Madagascar after a succession of particularly severe storms – including Bondo, Clovis, Favio and Gamede – had battered the island since December. By the end of March, the combined effects of extensive floods in the northern part of the country and drought in the south resulted in nearly 500,000 people in need of assistance. Against this backdrop, a new cyclone, Indlala, struck the north-eastern coast of Madagascar on 15th March, with winds of more than 230 km/h. Even after moving inland, it still registered gusts up to 125 km/h. The storm also continued to unleash torrential rains. Floods washed away villages in the northeast of the country, silted paddy fields and other large agricultural areas, damaged road infrastructure, washed away bridges and made it impossible to reach a number of remote villages where communities remained in dire need of immediate relief aid. 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 deteriorated dramatically, and the risk of maternal and child mortality linked to lack of access to services, and water- and vector-borne diseases, increased. The situation threatened to deteriorate further were timely assistance not provided to address immediate needs and restore agricultural production and livelihoods before the next cyclone season.
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