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Madagascar

Cyclone Bingiza - Madagascar Situation Report #1

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This report is issued by Madagascar UNCT and covers the period from 13 to 14 February 2011.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES

o Cyclone Bingiza, the first major weather system to strike Madagascar this cyclone season, provoked torrential rainfall in the Northeast coast of Madagascar. The following five districts of Soanierana Ivongo, Sainte Marie, North of Mananara, Maroantsetra and Mandritsara have been affected by landfall in the early hours of 14 February . The damage caused by the category three cyclone, which had sustained wind speeds of 160 kilometres per hour with gusts of up to 220 kilometres per hour, has yet to be established as this region is already completely isolated in normal period.

o From the information gathered so far, the district of Northern Mananara, which is the most densely populated (150 to 300 hab/km=B2) has been the most affected one. According to unofficial source, 80% of the houses in this city have been damaged. With regard to the districts of Sainte Marie Soanierana Ivongo, which were both hit by the cyclone in the early hours of today, very limited damages have been recorded.

o From my afternoon conversation with the Director of the Disaster risk Management Agency (BNGRC), several public building and electric facilities have been damaged in Maroantsetra and Mandritsara districts but so far no human loss reported.

o High winds and low clouds are currently preventing an immediate assessment of the damage caused by Bingiza. However, weather permitting a joint aerial assessment mission conducted by CARE International and Ministry of public works will be carried out tomorrow morning for two days. A meeting will be called on Thursday morning to share the mission findings and recommendations with the humanitarian actors.

o In case the scale of this emergency greatly exceeds the response capacity of the Malagasy government's Disaster Risk Management Agency (BNGRC), UN support will be sought and a flash appeal launched.

o For time being the population in areas at risk have been asked to stay home.