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| Thousands of homes have been destroyed in the flood waters |
This January, Tropical Cyclone Chedza has brought death,
destruction and misery to Madagascar, hitting the island with a lethal
combination of high winds and heavy rain. As the rains lashed down, rivers
burst their banks and vast areas of the country were left under water. Saturated
soils gave way to landslides. Schools, homes, roads, and bridges were washed
away. The death toll is currently 63, but 130,000 people have been displaced,
their villages damaged or destroyed and their crops ruined by the flood waters.
There has been severe flooding in most of the country, the
worst affected regions being, Menabe, Melaky, Boeny, Mahajanga, Analamanga and
the south eastern part of the Island. Significant flooding in the capital,
Tana, is giving rise to serious sanitation problems with raw sewerage flowing
through water filled homes.
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| It takes weeks for the flood waters to recede leaving thousands homeless and hungry |
Even in a wealthy country like ours, where most people have
home insurance and there is government support, we have witnessed the havoc
that can be wreaked by flooding. In a country like Madagascar, where most
people are living on less than $2 per day and relying on their own produce for
survival, there is no safety net for those who lose their homes and crops.
Several of MfM’s Malagasy partner NGOs have written appealing
for urgent funds to meet the immediate needs of those most affected by the
cyclone, over the next three months. Many of the communities and groups that we
work with have been seriously affected by the cyclone. With your support we can
help some of the thousands of homeless and hungry who need food and shelter, as
well as, basic health care and sanitation, whilst they contemplate rebuilding
their lives. We can contribute to practical actions such as, clearing roads and
evacuating dangerous areas. Once the waters have subsided we can supply the seeds
that will be needed so that people can replant their crops. However, all this work requires extra finance.
MfM has a strong history of responding to our Malagasy communities
in times of emergency. We always provide support based on the needs identified
by our partners on the ground. Although the work we support emphasises long
term goals, such as disaster resilience, in a crisis, immediate needs must be
met. A child can be provided a nutritious hot meal for as little as 5 pence per
day! Whatever we are able to give will make a real difference to people’s
lives. By responding to their immediate needs, we are giving them the capacity
to begin on the road to long term resilience.
Please donate whatever you can today! Thank you!
Either use the link below to just giving:
https://www.justgiving.com/Tabitha-Middleton/
or visit our website:
http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp
Either use the link below to just giving:
https://www.justgiving.com/Tabitha-Middleton/
or visit our website:
http://moneyformadagascar.org/english/make-a-donation.asp
