Tropical cyclone "Elita" causes significant damage

One person has been killed and hundreds left without shelter after a tropical cyclone hammered the northwestern coastal town of Mahajanga in Madagascar on Wednesday evening. Aid workers on Thursday told IRIN the number of people affected by the heavy rains had yet to be confirmed, but preliminary reports released by the government indicated that almost 200 houses and five administrative buildings had been destroyed in the town. "We have yet to send a technical team to assess just how serious the situation is, but authorities have reported that the electricity and water supply has been cut off," UN Resident Coordinator, Bouri Sanhouidi, said. The cyclone was accompanied by winds averaging 200 km/h, with gusts as strong as 210 km/h. Local authorities have appealed for medicines to prevent the spread of waterborne diseases, while 30 mt of rice, four mt of sugar, building materials and mosquito nets are needed to assist affected households. "We are now in the middle of Madagascar's cyclone season, and up until now it has been relatively calm. 'Elita' is the first cyclone which has caused significant damage. However, we do expect that there will a few more cyclones landing soon," Sanhouidi noted. In May last year, tropical cyclone Manou battered the country's east coast, leaving 70 people dead and about 115,000 in need of assistance.