Humanitarian appeal revised for Madagascar, UN reports

The international humanitarian community is revising downwards its appeal for aid for Madagascar but warning that the country’s population still remains highly vulnerable to the impact of cyclones, drought and continuing political tensions, the United Nations aid wing has reported.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported yesterday that the international humanitarian community is now seeking $22.3 million for a “flash appeal” for Madagascar, a reduction from the $35.7 million sought in April.

So far, nearly $11.7 million has been provided and UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) say they ultimately hope to assist about 516,000 people with the funds raised in the appeal.

A report on the appeal’s revision, released by OCHA, noted that the political crisis, which led to the resignation of the president in March, has had a less-than-expected impact on the provision of basic social services and development projects.

“Although to date the impact has not been as devastating as feared, the situation in Madagascar remains unstable and far from resolved,” the update added, stressing the need for a peaceful resolution to the political tensions. “The ongoing uncertainty is clearly exacerbating an already fragile economy weakened by the global economic recession.”

The report on the appeal’s revision noted that Madagascar remains unprepared for the next cyclone season, with inadequate stocks of emergency goods and inefficient mechanisms to coordinate any emergency response. The Indian Ocean country is often battered by cyclones in the early months of the year.

But UN agencies and NGOs also said that a strong rice harvest and stable prices for many basic goods have also contributed to an easing of the humanitarian situation, leaving fewer people in need of emergency assistance.