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Madagascar: Heavy Rains, Floods and Landslides - Operation Update 1, n° MDRMG016 (22 June 2020)

Countries
Madagascar
Sources
IFRC
Publication date
Origin
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Summary of major revisions made to emergency plan of action:

This Operations Update is issued to inform stakeholders of the need to extend the timeframe of this DREF operation by two months (new end date 31 August 2020). Indeed, MRCS only received a waiver which allowed it to respond to the COVID-19 outbreak, while all other humanitarian response operations had to be suspended. However, from mid-June, when the Government started the re-opening from the lockdown, NS was also allowed to continue with its non-Covid activities. As such, this timeframe extension will enable MRCS to complete the planned activities (WASH, health, cash assistance, shelter) which have been disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak; and subsequent restrictions being enforced by the Madagascar government.

The budget for this operation remains unchanged (CHF 307,356) and activities included in the original schedule are maintained.

Situation Analysis

Description of the disaster

On 22 January 2020, the cyclonic circulation called Zone de Convergence Inter-Tropicale (ZCIT) made landfall on the West coast of Madagascar, in the district of Besalampy, the Melaky region. This prompted a Red Alert Warning for heavy rains in Boeny, Sofia (Districts of Analalava, Antsohihy, Mampikomy, Boriziny, and Mandritsara) and a Yellow Alert Warning for the region of Analamanga and Alaotra Mangoro. On 23 January, Red Alert for High wind for most of the coast of the country, from the North, North-Eastern, North-Western, and Western regions was equally issued. The depression eventually went out to sea on 23 January at around 3:30 pm, between Toamasina and Vatomandry (Ambila Lemaitso, in the region of Atsinanana) and continued to move towards the islands of Reunion and Mauritius, East of Madagascar, as it evolved Into the moderate tropical storm Diane by 24 January.

Despite leaving the island, the clouds associated with the phenomena kept bringing rain over several regions, including Alaotra and Atsinanana and as of 25 January, the casualties registered was 9 people missing, 31 reported dead, 106,846 affected and 16,031 displaced. The estimation of damage on infrastructure was significant and government declared a state of emergency.

In response, Malagasy RC, with support from IFRC, launched this DREF operation on 5 February, to meet the immediate shelter and NFIs, livelihoods and basic needs, health care and WASH needs of 5,000 people (1,000 HHs) affected by this disaster in three of the most impacted regions -- Alaotro Mangoro and Betsiboka and in urban Antananarivo. This operation was set to last 4 months.