Madagascar: Humanitarian Snapshot (February 2024)

OVERVIEW

The nutrition situation in the Grand Sud-Est of Madagascar has remained critical since 2021 due to successive tropical cyclones, according to the data collected by the National Nutrition Office. Between 2021 and 2023, the number of admissions for severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the Grand Sud-est increased from 6,761 to 33,105, almost equaling the total number of SAM admitted in the Grand Sud in 2023 (37,000 children). The situation in the Grand Sud-est remains concerning despite the scaling up of acute malnutrition management programs and two years of interventions. In Ikongo and Nosy Varika, the most remote districts in the Grand Sud-Est, the malnutrition situation is expected to deteriorate during the lean season (January to April 2024) as these districts are forecast to face acute levels of hunger (IPC Phase 4 – Emergency), according to the Integrated Malnutrition Phase Classification (IPC).
In addition, an analysis conducted in February this year in the two districts shows that cases of Malaria have significantly increased between July and December 2023, with an estimated 30,200 cases reported by the end of the year. In total, the number of children under 5 who are acutely malnourished is likely to rise to nearly 196,500 children between October 2023 and April 2024 for the Grand Sud-Est region.

Meanwhile, the humanitarian situation in the Grand Sud remained fragile and is expected to deteriorate further thus reversing the marginal gains made in 2023 as a result of a scale-up in aid and the positive impact of the rainy season received between November 2022 and March 2023. The El Niño conditions, characterized by rainfall deficits, were reported between November and December 2023, followed by normal to above-normal rainfall in January 2024, during the passage of Tropical Storm (TS) Alvaro and inter-tropical convergence zones. Food insecurity is expected to deteriorate from February to April 2024, with seven districts projected to face IPC Phase 3 conditions. Already, more than 262,000 children under 5 are acutely malnourished in Grand Sud. Ampanihy District has been experiencing crisis levels of malnutrition since October 2023, while six others including Bekily, Beloha, Ambovombe, Tsihombe, Amboasary and Betioky are expected to face similar conditions from February to September 2024.

Successive weather systems have caused significant damage since January 2023. However, no strong tropical system has directly affected the country so far in 2024. Severe TS Alvaro and other inter-tropical storms have hit Madagascar since January, killing at least 43 people and affecting nearly 52,000 people across the country. The north and the south-western regions of the Island are the worst affected; in particular, the impact of TS Alvaro was stronger in the south-west. Agriculture and Education sectors are among the most affected. Heavy rains in February also caused damage to 103 classrooms in seven regions, affecting more than 7,000 students. The Education Sector provided tents and other school equipment to enable the resumption of learning.