Officials in Madagascar say Cyclone Batsirai swept through the Indian Ocean nation this past weekend, killing 20 people, displacing 50,000 and destroying crops that were almost ready to be harvested.
With a population of nearly 30 million, Madagascar had already been dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Ana, which killed 55 people and displaced 130,000 just two weeks ago.
Officials say Batsirai struck a different part of the island further south where the population was already facing a precarious situation in terms of food supplies because of a severe drought.
Government officials say emergency rescuers were struggling to reach the worst affected areas Monday because 12 roads and 14 bridges were impassable, while rising river levels threatened to displace more people.
President Andry Rajoelina went to the town of Mananjary to survey the storm’s destruction and the relief efforts. Officials say the town was among the hardest-hit areas, with about 3,000 dwellings and government buildings destroyed and about 5,700 others flooded.
The state disaster relief agency said more than 200 schools were partially or fully destroyed, leaving more than 10,000 children unable to attend classes.
Jean-Benoit Manhes, deputy representative for the U.N, Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Madagascar, said the cyclone left the nation facing a humanitarian crisis due to food insecurity. He said the central part of the country, where most of the nation’s rice crop is located, was more affected by rain than wind from the storm. Water levels in the rivers there will rise, impacting the crops.
“The effects of the cyclone won't end today. They will be felt for many months, especially in agriculture," Manhes said.
Some information for this report came from The Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.
