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Madagascar town levelled after cyclone: aid workers
The national disaster management agency BNGRC said the majority had died in Ikongo district, near the east coast of the Indian Ocean island. About 125,000 people have been affected after Batsirai struck last weekend, the agency said in an updated fact sheet. Aid agencies are worried about ensuring clean drinking water, and have begun setting up purification systems. Water-borne diseases pose a major health risk after tropical storms. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some 42 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, even without a natural disaster.
The coastal Madagascar town of Mananjary was largely destroyed after Tropical Cyclone Batsirai, aid workers said Saturday, as more relief supplies arrived by plane. The storm left 120 people dead, mainly on the east coast of the Indian Ocean island nation, which took the hardest hit. “For the moment, the initial evaluations undertaken are very alarming. We’re talking about nine out of 10 homes damaged by the cyclone, especially around Mananjary,” said Martin Marin, a French Red Cross logistics officer. He spoke to AFP as the Red Cross was loading two tonnes of equipment onto a French military plane to deliver from the Indian Ocean island of Reunion to Madagascar. Doctors without Borders (MSF) said in a statement that their teams had visited the town and found it “largely destroyed”. “The hospital is no longer functioning, five health centres are completely destroyed in the area and the roofs of 35 other structures have been blown off. The hospital patients have been evacuated to a clinic opened urgently to receive them,” said MSF logistics officer Joaquin Noterdaeme. “The state of the roads is getting worse as we go, and many of them are still being cleared,” he said. “The roads are unstable, sometimes with a deep hole under the asphalt, and can collapse at any time.” Nosy Varika, about 100 kilometres (65 miles) north, is only accessible by sea. The town’s hospital was destroyed, and electricity has yet to be restored, he added. The national disaster management agency BNGRC said the majority of deaths were in Ikongo district, also near the east coast. About 125,000 people were in need of aid after Batsirai struck one week ago, the agency said. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some 42 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, even without a natural disaster. Madagascar cyclone toll rises to 111 The national disaster management agency BNGRC said 87 people had died in Ikongo district, near the east coast of the Indian Ocean island. About 30,000 people were living in emergency shelters after Batsirai struck last weekend, the agency said in an updated fact sheet. Aid agencies are worried about ensuring clean drinking water, and have begun setting up purification systems. Water-borne diseases pose a major health risk after tropical storms. Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world. Some 42 percent of children suffer from chronic malnutrition, even without a natural disaster. Madagascar cyclone toll hits 94 as rescuers advance “Right now, the toll is 94 dead,” said Faly Aritiana Fabien of the national disaster management agency, BNGRC. “We’ve made great efforts to reach all of the areas hit by the cyclone. Now we have to make sure that emergency workers can help everyone in need,” he told AFP. Batsirai hit Madagascar last weekend, with heavy rain and winds of 165 kilometres (100 miles) per hour. The cyclone struck the Indian Ocean island less than two weeks after Tropical Storm Ana left 55 dead in Madagascar. In the coastal town of Mananjary, which suffered the storm’s greatest force, people have started clearing debris and tree limbs from the streets. Some buildings had collapsed, other somehow stayed standing. Most of the town’s homes were destroyed. As the storm ploughed inland, crops were destroyed. Henriette, 66, survives by growing rice, pineapples and cassava. Her home was reduced to rubble. “My house wasn’t too strong to begin with, so I decided to stay at my sister’s place. But I didn’t have time to carry all my things, or my furniture,” she said. “When I came back Sunday morning, my house was destroyed.” According to UNICEF, 112,000 people need emergency aid, including 62,000 people left homeless. Half of those needing help are children. “The picture should continue to look something like this,” as the areas where rescue workers have yet to reach are sparsely populated, said Jean Benoit Manhes, UNICEF’s deputy representative in Madagascar. Access to clean drinking water is one of the main humanitarian needs. “Children are especially sensitive to diseases linked to drinking dirty water, causing acute diarrhoeal diseases, as well as a risk of increased malaria,” he said. Some 42 percent of children in Madagascar suffer from chronic malnutrition, even without a natural disaster. “It’s a race against time. If we can reach everyone in need within a week, we can avoid many deaths,” he added. Related Links Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
The national disaster management agency BNGRC said 87 people had died in Ikongo district, near the east coast of the Indian Ocean island. About 30,000 people were living in emergency shelters after Batsirai struck last weekend, the agency said in an updated fact sheet. Aid agencies are worried about ensuring clean drinking water, and have begu … read more
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