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"Dramatic" effect of cyclones on food security - WFP

[Madagascar] Drought in southern Madagascar WFP
Drought in the south still a major concern for WFP
The almost complete destruction of rice fields in Madagascar's northern province of Mahajanga, after a series of severe cyclones, is expected to jeopardise long-term agricultural production, the World Food Programme (WFP) said on Monday. Preliminary results from last week's inter-agency crop assessment in affected areas in the northwestern region revealed that 80 percent of rice fields in the Maevetanana district were destroyed by the heavy rains. "The effects of the cyclones have been quite dramatic. After cyclone Elita, residents in the area started planting again, but then Gafilo hit, which destroyed much of their efforts," WFP country director, Bodo Henze, told IRIN. Cyclone Gafilo struck the Indian Ocean island twice in mid-March, a month after 29 people were killed and 44,000 were made homeless when Madagascar was battered by Elita. Henze explained that in some districts large tracts of agricultural land could not be used. "The thick layer of sand over the fields will take time to remove, which means that agricultural recovery will take longer and food needs are expected to be prolonged." Given the unsuitability of the soil for rice production, households have been encouraged to consider planting alternative crops, such as sweet potato and cassava. Henze said one of the key concerns for aid agencies was that there were "still people in need of food aid". "There are those who are still short of food and are still living in tents. There is, of course, the additional problem of seed availability and the lack of irrigation infrastructure, which was destroyed during the cyclones," he noted. Gafilo was the worst cyclone to hit the country in 20 years - over 47,000 hectares of agricultural land was damaged, and 200 schools and 200 health centres were either damaged or destroyed. WFP also remained concerned over food insecurity in six districts in the southern part of the country, where a separate needs assessment, concluded at the weekend, estimated that between 30,000 and 35,000 people were in need of food aid. The drought-prone south has experienced severe drought conditions over the last year, leaving thousands of rural households food insecure. "The current situation is fairly bleak and it is necessary to get food to those who need it immediately. Also, there must be careful monitoring of the situation to avoid it worsening," Henze said. WFP has requested US $5.6 million to feed up to 110,000 people, as part of a UN flash appeal for US $8.7 million to provide relief to some 309,500 people affected by Gafilo.

This article was produced by IRIN News while it was part of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Please send queries on copyright or liability to the UN. For more information: https://shop.un.org/rights-permissions

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