Aid funding shortfall

Humanitarian agencies in Madagascar say the lack of adequate logistics remains a problem in conducting assessments and in distributing aid to inaccessible areas following the devastation caused by three cyclones that hit the Indian Ocean island. World Food Programme (WFP) spokesman in Madagascar, Haladou Salha, told IRIN on Thursday that the response to the agency's appeal for US $5 million has not been enthusiastic. The appeal was made up of US $3 million for food aid and US $2 million for logistics and expertise. "The logistics appeal has been funded by up to 70 percent while 52 percent of food aid requirements have been met," Salha said. Salha said the agency has only two helicopters and two boats at its disposal to deliver assistance to the northeast and southeast of Madagascar, areas most devastated by the floods in February and March. "Many of the key roads are still inaccessible and aid is being moved by helicopter from the capital, Antananarivo to the districts from where they are delivered to villages by boat and road." He said WFP, in conjunction with other humanitarian agencies, plans to distribute food and non-food aid to about 300,000 affected people until the end of May, after which an assessment of infrastructural damage will be carried out. Salha said the agencies plan to start food-for-work programmes from the beginning of June when the rainy season is expected to have ended. "The food-for work activities are scheduled to last for a period of four months," Salha said. He added that WFP, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the government will next week conduct a two-week joint assessment mission to determine food production needs before the start of the next planting season. The assessment, according to Salha, aims to encourage villagers to restart food production as soon as the rainy season ends. Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) said the cumulative number of reported cholera cases stands at 28,662 and the fatality rate is 5.7 percent. It said a five-member World Health Organisation (WHO) team arrived in the country at the beginning of April to help the authorities deal with the cholera outbreak that hit the country in March. Meanwhile, UNICEF said a new moderate tropical storm has been detected in the Indian Ocean. Called Innocente, it is currently moving west of Madagascar to the southwest at an estimated speed of 50 km per hour. It added, however, that it is being closely monitored and the country's meteorological station has not yet issued a warning.