from MARIO RAJOMAZANDRY in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Madagascar Bureau
ANTANANARIVO, (CAJ News) – STILL reeling from the Tropical Cyclone Fytia that left a trail of destruction, Madagascar is to contend with yet another cyclone- Gezani.
Gezani formed over the southwest Indian Ocean on February 6, passed north of Mauritius and Réunion over the next two days.
It has been approaching Madagascar.
According to experts, on Monday (February 9) at 00h00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), its centre was located offshore, approximately 630km east of Madagascar, with maximum sustained winds of 84 km/h.
From forecasts by Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS), National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) and MeteoMadagascar, the tropical storm is expected to continue moving west, strengthening to a Category 4 tropical cyclone.
It is forecast to make landfall between Mananara Avaratra and Vatomandry, in the province of Tomasina, Atsinanana region, eastern Madagascar on February 10 with maximum sustained winds of 211 km/h.
“Over the next 72 hours, strong winds and heavy rainfall are forecast over north-western Madagascar,” the forecasters stated jointly.
Cyclone Fytia made landfall on January 31 in Madagascar, triggering widespread flooding across the north-west.
As of February 6, some 14 deaths were reported, more than 31 000 people displaced and over 200 000 affected across 35 districts in nine regions.
About 18 600 houses were flooded, damaged, or destroyed, while 493 classrooms and 20 health facilities sustained damage.
Extensive losses of fields of the staple rice were destroyed, undermining livelihoods and food security.
An estimated 93 000 people will require urgent humanitarian assistance over the next three months, with funding needs of approximately US$11 million, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Office (OCHA).
Public health risks are rising as water points have been flooded and health and nutrition services disrupted, compounded by medical supply stockouts and heightened risks of disease outbreaks, including mpox.
CARE, the non-governmental organisation, has lamented the impact of Fytia, whose destruction is likely to be worsened by Gezani.
“Women, children, older people, and persons with disabilities are among the most vulnerable during cyclones, particularly in communities already affected by food insecurity and repeated climate shocks,” said Mirana Fanomezantsoa, CARE Madagascar Country Director.
CARE in Madagascar is monitoring the situation in coordination with national authorities and humanitarian partners.
This is arguably the biggest test faced by the military-led government of President Michael Randrianirina, in office since last October.
The government is leading the response with support from humanitarian partners, providing food, cash, wash and health assistance and supporting evacuations and search-and-rescue operations.
Madagascar is situated in the southwest Indian Ocean basin, one of the world’s most active regions for tropical storm formation.
Gezani is the seventh named system of the 2025/26 southwest Indian Ocean cyclone season.
While cyclones are a natural occurrence, recent trends show they are becoming more intense and unpredictable because of the intensification of climate change.
Madagascar often faces multiple landfalls in a single season. In 2023 it was hit by eight cyclones in just 13 months, including Freddy, one of the longest-lasting cyclones ever recorded, hitting it twice.
– CAJ News