Thousands of people in Madagascar are suffering from acute food and water shortages. The money raised goes to emergency aid and reconstruction.

Now Madagascar is again hard hit by the forces of nature. Cyclone Batsiray has destroyed buildings and large parts of the crops in the eastern part of the country. The primary challenge in the short and medium-term is access to food and clean drinking water.

The money raised here will make it possible to distribute food and clean water, help the locals start cultivating the land so that they can get new crops as a replacement for the fields that are now destroyed, and contribute with corrugated iron sheets for the reconstruction of church buildings and schools.

"We need help now! The situation is precarious, says Hobiharisoa Randrianarijao, principal at the agricultural school Fihaonana. He tells of enormous destruction in the town of Vohipeno, where the school is located.

This is what it looks like now in Vohipeno city, where Fihaonana agricultural school is located. The school itself is located on a hill outside the city and is therefore not flooded.

SOS from the church

FLM, the Lutheran church in Madagascar, has sent an emergency call to the NMS, asking for help in caring for the cyclone-stricken population. The church has plans for food distribution and reconstruction, but they need money.

Hobiharisoa Randrianarijao says that the situation is precarious. ‘

"Here in our area, there are many thousands of people who are in acute need. They have gathered in the centers where they hope to get food. The problem is that there are no large food stores in this part of Madagascar. Therefore, we hope to get twenty tons of rice from the port city of Manakara, which is an hour's drive from here. Roads to other parts of the country have been destroyed by the flood. We have entered into a collaboration with the Catholic Church so that we can distribute the food in the most efficient way possible", says Hobiharisoa Randrianarijao, who many know best as Hoby.

Flooded rice fields

The violent cyclone hit Madagascar with full force on Saturday night at 19.00. For seven hours, the southeastern part of the island was hit by a huge storm and large amounts of water. Thousands of houses were destroyed, but these are the flooded rice fields that worry the most.

"Rice is the most important thing in the diet here in Madagascar. The rice plants can stay underwater for up to three days, but then it begins to rot. That's what's happening now. The large rice fields are flooded. Thus, people do not get food. Thousands, most of them children, are now gathered in places they hope they can get a meal of food", says Hoby.

But the agricultural school principal is well aware that distributing food is not a lasting solution. Therefore, he is concerned that the population must get help to get started with growing food as quickly as possible.

"The sweet potato can be harvested after a short time. Now it's about getting started growing as soon as possible. We must also help people to grow rice and cassava so that they can avoid being dependent on food distribution", says Hoby, who also says that the largest Lutheran church in the city is damaged and that parts of the boarding school at the agricultural school have been destroyed.

"Thousands of people have lost their homes. But it is a smaller problem than the lack of food. When the water recedes, people are able to rebuild their homes in a matter of days. But they are dependent on food for a long time", he says.

Corrugated iron sheets in the streets

In Manakara, where the people of Vohipeno hope to buy rice, Gerrard Mahadimby found the cyclone extremely dramatic.

"I never think I've been so scared before. There were strong gusts of wind and prolonged rain. Corrugated iron sheets flew around here in the streets. We just had to stay indoors", says Gerrard Mahadimby.

There is also a need for food distribution in Manarkara. Around the city, there are help centers with room for a few hundred people.

"My wife was at a food distribution today. They served about a thousand meals with hot food, but there were just as many who got nothing. It is urgent to get the help here", says Gerrard, who has many friends in Norway. He is a civil agronomist, educated from Ås. He also has a large network of contacts in NMS.

Food, agriculture, and buildings

The Malagasy Church is asking NMS for financial support for food distribution in several places on the east coast. The church is also asking for money so that those affected by the cyclone can quickly start growing rice and other food. In the slightly longer term, there is a need to rebuild churches and school buildings. The church has many who are ready to participate in the relief work, but they need money to buy what is needed to provide help.

Urgent need for help now

Help to provide vital relief to the people of Vohipeno and Manakara. Thank you so much for your support!