Mananjary District was the impact point for cyclone Batsirai, the first tropical system to reach cyclone status during the 2021-2022 cyclone season.
Medair’s response to this emergency is to provide WASH and infrastructure assistance to ensure the health of affected communities.
A few days after Batsirai hit, a team of WASH experts from Switzerland came to support Medair’s mobile emergency team in Mananjary to assess the damage and determine what WASH interventions are needed to restore access to safe drinking water
Batsirai hit the island in north of Mananjary on 5 February 2022, displacing more than 60,000 people, with more than 100,000 affected.
The population is particularly vulnerable with the rising waters. Medair is working to quickly restore access to clean water and prevent the risk of waterborne diseases.
Local scout volunteers were mobilized to raise awareness among the population of Mananjary about hygiene, sanitation, protection and prevention measures of Covid-19.
21,909 people were reached during this campaign from February to March 2022
At the very beginning of the post-cyclone response, Noë, our hydrogeologist, was among the staff deployed to Mananjary to support the training of local volunteer scouts on water sampling, analysis, and disinfection techniques. A total of 118 volunteers were trained.
At the end of this training, they will be able to participate in the disinfection of wells in the different communes of Mananjary.
Elisabeth received a WASH kit comprised of a bucket, two bars of soap, a jerry can, a cup and two bottles of water treatment solution.
Mother of 4 children, Elisabeth lost everything after the passage of Batsirai, her house and all her plantings. Working as a labourer on a private land, she earns only 2500 Ariary per day (0.6 USD). Her husband is mentally ill, so she raises her children alone.
“We usually drink water from the well, which is not covered. We ended up getting malaria. I am grateful to Medair and it is heartwarming. My life has changed a little bit. These donations help us in our daily life because we are not even able to buy soap”
BEFORE
AFTER
15 latrines have been rehabilitated as part of the post-Batsirai response in different communes of Mananjary as well as schools and public institutions.
Most of the latrines were destroyed and unusable after the cyclone. The most urgent was to restore these infrastructures to avoid the populations to relieve themselves in the open air and increase the risks of spreading diseases.
In partnership with Unicef, 3051 families, or 15,255 people, have benefited from WASH kits consisting of a bucket, a jerry can, a cup, two bars of soap and two bottles of water treatment solution in Mananjary district.
Medair’s volunteer teams were able to disinfect 41 wells in different villages in Mananjary District. Disinfection included water testing, cleaning surroundings, removal of debris and algae, and water treatment.
Fihoby Harivelo and her children were not prepared for the cyclone. Her house was destroyed, and she could not save her belongings. They had to take shelter with neighbors.
The water from the well in her village that she used to drink became dirty and muddy after the cyclone.
“I am glad that our well was cleaned. On average, me and my children consume 20 liters of water per day. This helps us a lot.
Medair has been present in Mananjary (Southeast of Madagascar) since February 2022. Our work is supported by Start Network, UNICEF, Swiss Agency for Cooperation and Development, as well as private donors.
