Unicef



Overstromingen en voedseltekorten bedreigen de levens van kinderen in Madagascar

01 maart 2007, Antananarivo - Vanaf december 2006 werd Madagascar getroffen door twee cycloons, een tropische storm, ongekende overstromingen en droogte. De droogte trof 582.000 mensen. Als gevolg hiervan raakten 7.000 kinderen onder de vijf jaar in het zuiden van het land acuut ondervoed.

De overstromingen in het land kostten zeven mensen het leven en 32.000 mensen raakten ontheemd. De helft daarvan leeft in de hoofdstad en wordt in tijdelijke accomodaties en tenten opgevangen. Op het platteland is de situatie nog erger. Zo'n 100.000 hectare landbouwgrond is verloren gegaan en meer dan 150.000 boerenfamilies zijn getroffen. Experts schatten in dat deze verliezen 10 procent van de totale jaarlijkse landbouwproductie uitmaken.

Unicef levert noodhulpgoederen, waaronder tenten, waterzuiveringstabletten, jerrycans en dekens. Mobiele teams houden de situatie in het land voortdurend in de gaten en zorgen voor therapeutische voeding aan ondervoede kinderen en hun families. De overheid van Madagascar vraagt US $242 miljoen om de situatie het hoofd te kunnen bieden, maar heeft vooralsnog slechts US $1 miljoen ontvangen.

Hieronder ontvangt u het volledige nieuwsbericht.


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Floods and food insecurity threaten Madagascars children

Antananarivo/February 28, 2007 - Since December 2006, Madagascar has been hit by two cyclones, a tropical storm, unprecedented flooding and a drought the latter affecting 582,000 people including 7,000 children under five with acute malnutrition in the south of the country.

Madagascar is your classic silent emergency, said UNICEFs Representative Bruno Maes. Fortunately, we have not had large scale epidemics or hundreds of lives lost, but the children who are affected by these disasters live under extremely vulnerable conditions and with the cyclone season still in full force, we are concerned about potential deterioration.

The floods in Madagascar have caused seven deaths and displaced over 32,000 people over half of whom live in the nations capital and are being housed in temporary accommodations and tents, many of which have been provided by UNICEF, along with water purification solution, jerry cans, blankets and the like.

But around the country, the situation is worse, with close to 100,000 hectares of agricultural land lost and more than 150,000 farming families affected. Experts estimate that these losses might account for 10% of total annual agricultural production.

And then theres the drought in the south. An assessment by UNICEF found some 7,000 children at risk of dying. But fortunately for them, mobile teams were quickly dispatched that continue to monitor the situation and ensure that these children and their families receive therapeutic food and rations.

And now the latest tropical storm, Gamede appears to have left the island, after bringing harsh rains to the south and south-east of the country and another cyclone Humbo is around the corner. After over 40 days of extensive relief operations in locations around the country, the nations responses services are over-stretched at best.

The government has launched an appeal for US$242 million, but only received a million thus far.


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