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Madagascar

Damage from cyclone Indlala affects a quarter of a million people in Madagascar

Sixth cyclone of the season hits storm-torn island

A large part of Madagascar is facing a potential food crisis. Assessments by CARE and other international NGOs indicate that the number of people affected by Cyclone Indlala, which hit Madagascar on March 15, is likely to be much higher than previously reported. At least 88 people have been killed and 30 have disappeared. More than 250,000 people have been affected so far, half of those suffering from a loss of housing or destruction of crops and land.

"This is a highly unusual situation where six cyclones have hit the island in one season, causing a national catastrophe", says Carsten Voelz, CARE International Emergency Operations Manager. "The new cyclone that struck the island today, exacerbates the already critical humanitarian situation".

CARE has been distributing nearly 60 tonnes of food provided by the World Food Programme (WFP) − in Antalaha. An additional 135 tonnes of food provided by the WFP is being prepared for distribution by CARE in Maroantsetra. mostly rice and beans.

"I would say that there are at least 75,000 people in urgent need of immediate relief," says Didier Young, CARE's emergency coordinator in Madagascar. Young adds that most people he encountered in the northeast were asking for food. "These people have lost everything, "he says," their houses, food stocks and their crops."

CARE's ground assessment data for the districts of Antalaha and Maroantsetra confirm that there are 53,000 and 40,000 victims respectively in these two districts alone.

Much of the damage was done by torrential rains to crops that were about to be harvested. There is serious concern that most of the main rice harvest, which was due in May, has been destroyed. The vanilla harvest, which provides the principal source of income in this part of Madagascar, has also largely been destroyed by the wind.

Contacts in Madagascar: Didier Young, Tel: +261 3207 81046. E-mail: didier@care.mg

Alternate contact: William Dowell, CARE Emergency Group/Geneva, Tel: +41 79 590 3047, wtdowell@careinternational.org