Madagascar in mourning

news24 14.03.2004

The official death toll stood at 74. Another 169 people were still classed as missing, including more than 100 people believed drowned when their ferry sank between the Comoros and Madagascar, leaving only two known survivors.

Two French citizens, named as Gabrielle Corinne Bouyssou and Brigitte Oushesne, were among the missing.

Gafilo struck the northern port city of Antalaha one week ago with winds of up to 235km/h before moving inland.

The government described Gafilo as the worst cyclone to hit the country in more than a decade. It destroyed houses, crops and roads spared by Cyclone Elita, which battered the island at the end of February, killing 29 and leaving 44 000 homeless.

Close to 200 000 have been left homeless by Gafilo, according to figures from the disaster management agency. It said 540 people were injured and 7 831 hectares of valuable crops of rice and vegetables destroyed.

Interior Minister General Soja travelled to the worst-affected areas in the north and expressed his shock at the devastation. "Some towns are invisible under the water," Soja said on Sunday. "Their roofs are covered by up to a metre of water."

Soja said while many people were already rebuilding their homes, it would take at least two years for their lives to return to normal. "It will take about that long to get crops growing again and for them to live off the land," Soja said.

He said government development programmes had been severely affected, as almost 9 000 buildings were flattened and about 500 roads and bridges washed away.

Soja said the full effect of Gafilo would only be known next week as officials were still visiting areas isolated by the cyclone, evaluating the damage.

Export crop wiped out

The country's chief export, vanilla, was largely wiped out, as were subsistence rice crops. Various aid organizations and foreign governments have been supplying food and medicines but Soja said weeks and even months of assistance would be needed.

The World Food Programme estimates the country would need up to 5 000 tons of food, most of it from stockpiles in warehouses.

CARE has sent fuel and tools to local residents to rebuild homes, schools, clinics and irrigation systems. The group also plans to distribute seeds in time for the planting season in June.

The United Nations Children's Fund flew in 36 tons of emergency supplies including 10 000 jerry cans, 150 tents and plastic sheeting and bottles of water.

The aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres, also known as Doctors Without Borders, sent in 10 medical kits to provide 10 000 people with antibiotics, anti-malaria and diarrhoea medication and bandages.

The French and Libyan governments have also sent generators, food and materials to build shelters.

Edited by Trisha Shannon