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WFP / MADAGASCAR CYCLONE BATSIRAI
STORY: WFP / MADAGASCAR CYCLONE BATSIRAI
TRT: 01:59
SOURCE: WFP
RESTRICTIONS: PLEASE CREDIT WFP ON SCREEN
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 5-7 FEBRUARY 2022, MADAGASCAR
6 FEBRUARY 2022, MANAJARY, MADAGASCAR
1. Various shots, WFP aerial survey of damage from Cyclone Batsirai
5 FEBRUARY 2022, MANAJARY, MADAGASCAR
2. Wide shot, palm trees and house hit by cyclone
5 FEBRUARY 2022, MANAKARA, MADAGASCAR
3. Wide shot, heavy rain and wind during cyclone
6 FEBRUARY 2022, MANAKARA, MADAGASCAR
4. Tracking shot, cyclone aftermath
7 FEBRUARY 2022, ANTANANARIVO, MADAGASCAR
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Pasqualina DiSirio, Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP) Madagascar:
“We have 150,000 people affected but these numbers can easily rise. We have right now still waters increasing in the canals, in the rivers and people are still at danger//We know for sure that rice fields, that rice crops will be damaged, will be lost so, this is the main crop for Malagasy people and they will be seriously affected in food security in the next 3-6 months if we don’t do something immediately and we don’t help them recover.”
7 FEBRUARY 2022, MANAKARA, MADAGASCAR
6. Various shots, WFP hot meals (rice and chicken) provided to people displaced by cyclone
Bringing heavy rains, violent winds and storm surges, Intense Tropical Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the central-eastern coast of Madagascar on Saturday (5 Feb). Storms during the agricultural season have the potential to wipe out harvest, send food prices soaring and increase food insecurity.
According to government estimates 600,000 people could potentially be affected and 150,000 displaced.
With 12 highways and 14 bridges damaged, access to affected areas by road is a challenge. The cyclone comes hot on the heels of Storm Ana that saw severe damage to livelihoods, agricultural land, and key infrastructure.
The Government of Madagascar declared a State of Emergency on 27th January 2022.
The ongoing cyclone season (October 2021 to May 2022) is expected to see eight to twelve tropical systems.
Ahead of the cyclone impact, WFP pre-positioned food, started providing hot meals, and continues to work closely with the Government supporting the emergency response.
SOUNDBITE (English) Pasqualina DiSirio, Country Director, World Food Programme (WFP) Madagascar:
“We have 150,000 people affected but these numbers can easily rise. We have right now still waters increasing in the canals, in the rivers and people are still at danger//We know for sure that rice fields, that rice crops will be damaged, will be lost so, this is the main crop for Malagasy people and they will be seriously affected in food security in the next 3-6 months if we don’t do something immediately and we don’t help them recover.”
WFP provided the government authorities with IT equipment (smartphones and power banks), logistics support as well as access to WFP’s data collection platform to fast-track the registration and management of displaced people eligible for aid. WFP has also contributed tarps and wooden pallets for the set-up of temporary shelters.
In anticipation of Cyclone Batsirai, WFP prepositioned 50MT of food assistance in Manakara and Tamatave (the two main cities on the east coast), to be able to quickly provide emergency food assistance to 10,000 people.
WFP provided hot meals to preventively evacuated people before the cyclone and displaced people after the cyclone in Manakara and Tamatave.
The UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) has started flights to help conduct aerial assessments to map most urgent needs and move food, humanitarian staff and other goods.
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