Crisis in Madagascar worsens following massive storms
Stories | February 18, 2022
Over two weeks, the island nation of Madagascar was hit by two major storms. Tropical storm Ana and Cyclone Batsirai had a devastating impact, worsening an already existing humanitarian crisis.
Since November 2020, Southern Madagascar has endured back-to-back droughts. Crops have failed, there is no food and no water, and these catastrophic conditions are getting worse every day.
The tropical storms brought heavy rainfall and strong winds. More than 120 people died; with 30,123 households affected; 21,922 persons displaced in 79 accommodation sites; and more than 20,000 small houses destroyed, damaged, or flooded.
Already, more than 1.6 million people were in need of urgent assistance with tens of thousands experiencing critical food insecurity, according to the United Nations’ World Food Programme. This number will only increase following the storm.
CBM, in collaboration with partners and Organisations of People with Disabilities, have gathered information on the situation of people with disabilities in affected areas. Almost 400 were affected by both cyclones Ana and Batsirai.
People with disabilities are more likely to be negatively impacted during times of crisis and disaster. They face complex barriers to accessing much-needed aid including food distribution points that are not accessible to people with physical impairments, as well as some humanitarian aid delivered in a way that is not suitable for people with intellectual, hearing or vision impairments.
Satry Ramaroson leads the frontline CBM team in Madagascar: “The situation is getting worse, and we urgently need to do more to enable people with disabilities to access food, water and medicines. If we do not, people with disabilities will be left behind, and be more at risk from starvation.”
CBM’s country office in Madagascar is one of only two organisations operating in the country dedicated to providing support to people with disabilities and their families. We ensure that people with disabilities can access food, water, medication and other essentials. The psychosocial impacts of the successive cyclones on people with disabilities are important, as they are not always considered in crisis responses. We are also working on specific engagement options in the response to cyclones in Madagascar.
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Image: © Reuters
https://www.cbm.org.au/stories/crisis-in-madagascar-worsens-following-massive-storms