Tropical Cyclone Freddy threatens lives in Madagascar

Antananarivo, Madagascar 20 February 2023

Even as critical relief operations continue following Tropical Storm Cheneso, Madagascar is bracing for a new Category 5 typhoon. According to Meteo Madagascar, Tropical Cyclone Freddy has winds gusts of up to 165 and is expected to bring damaging winds, flooding, storm-surge, and mudslides. Landfall in Madagascar is expected for Tuesday, 21 February.

International emergency relief organisation, Medair, is closely monitoring the path of Tropical Cyclone Freddy while continuously providing aid for the storm-stricken families in Marondava and Maroansetra through access to clean and safe drinking water and emergency kits.

“Based on our learning from Cyclones Batsirai and Emnati that struck the country in 2022, Medair has supported the state disaster management agency, National Bureau of Disaster Management, by helping alert and warn the communities, giving them time to prepare and for first responders to communicate the need and extent of damage at the right time and through the right channel,” Medair Country Director Adriaan Mol, says.

He added, “We have existing field offices with well-equipped response team in the South and South-east of Madagascar that are on standby and ready to intervene if needed.”

Medair has been extremely concerned over the increased frequency and intensity of the storm on top of the spiking child malnutrition cases in the Grand South and Grand South-east due to lack of humanitarian assistance on food and livelihood restoration following the two cyclones that struck the region on the same month of last year.

Maryann ZAMORA
Communications Officer (English)
+41 783 07 72 70
maryann.zamora@medair.org

Medair is an international humanitarian NGO that provides emergency relief and recovery services to families made vulnerable by natural disasters, conflicts, and other crises.

For regular updates, please check www.medair.org  or Facebook @MedairMDG

For more information on Medair’s Madagascar programme, click here.