Cyclone leaves up to 100,000 homeless

Less than a month after cyclone Elita swept through Madagascar, killing 29 people, another tropical storm ripped through the country's northern region on Sunday, leaving thousands of people homeless and causing serious damage to several towns. The number of people affected by cylcone Gafilo has yet to be confirmed, but preliminary reports released by local authorities on Monday indicate that up to 100,000 people may be without shelter. The cyclone made landfall near the city of Antalaha in the northern province of Antsiranana early on Sunday, accompanied by winds averaging 220 km per hour. "It is really difficult to say just how bad the situation is, because the telecommunications network in the areas most affected have been cut. There is also no running water and no electricity in these areas. I think it is fair to say that it is a very serious situation," United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) disaster programme officer Gocelyne Rabesanbratana told IRIN. She noted that the UN country representative was accompanying Prime Minister Jacques Sylla to the region to assess the impact of the storm. Meanwhile, authorities have appealed for international assistance to cope with the aftermath of the heavy rains. Madagascar is prone to cyclones between December and March. In May last year, tropical cyclone Manou battered the country's east coast, leaving 70 people dead and about 115,000 in need of aid.