from MARIO RAJOMAZANDRY in Antananarivo, Madagascar
Madagascar Bureau
ANTANANARIVO, (CAJ News) – MORE than 60 people have died as Tropical Cyclone Gezani wreaks havoc in Madagascar and Mozambique.
Gezani is the latest weather phenomenon to strike since the beginning of the year.
Madagascar is the more affected of the Southern African countries.
As of Monday, 59 fatalities, 16 428 displaced people and 423 986 affected people were reported.
Madagascar in late January experienced another cyclone, Fytia, which also left a trail of destruction.
In Mozambique, as of Tuesday, four fatalities and five injuries were reported. A total of 805 people have been displaced across 15 accommodation centres, with 6 165 people affected overall.
On Tuesday, Gezani’s centre was located 431 km southwest of the Androy region in southern Madagascar, with maximum sustained winds of 90 km/h.
The system is forecast to dissipate in the southern Indian Ocean.
Red alert for strong winds and storm surge has been issued for southern and western Madagascar.
In Mozambique, thunderstorms are forecast in the northern part of the country over the next 48 hours. Rare showers are expected over southeastern Madagascar.
Save the Children reports that Gezani has left thousands of children cut off from essential services in Madagascar.
At least 6 000 children have been displaced and nearly 29 000 are unable to attend school in the aftermath.
In the hardest-hit Atsinanana region, particularly in Toamasina, which is Madagascar’s second-largest city and main port, damaged and destroyed homes have forced families into overcrowded shelters.
This is exposing thousands of children to protection risks, such as family separation, violence and exploitation and psychological trauma.
“Many families have lost their homes, which turns into a deeply distressing experience for children. The cyclone has also disrupted essential services they rely on, including safe water, healthcare, protection and schooling,” said Christine Jaulmes, United Nations Children’s Fund representative in Madagascar.
The two cyclones have also forced children to miss on their education, after 35 schools were damaged, 563 classrooms lost their roofs and 218 were destroyed.
The cyclones are attributed to climate change.
– CAJ News