Madagascar Appeal

Approximately 4.7 million people, or 42 per cent of the population of Madagascar's southern, southeastern and northern regions, will need humanitarian assistance in 2025 due to the lasting effects of previous cyclones, an anticipated intense cyclone season and a continuous high level of food insecurity. 

A worsening of the food security is expected situation due to the impact of the El Niño weather pattern; the forthcoming La Niña weather pattern; and slow recovery from previous year's drought and floods. As a result, from January 2025, 20 districts will be classified as food insecure, with 9 districts anticipated to be in IPC Phase 3 (acute) during the lean season (January to April 2025). Child wasting rates remain high, at 10–15 per cent, in 6 of the 22 districts affected by the crisis and this is likely to worsen during the upcoming lean season. As a result, UNICEF expects about 365,000 children to suffer from wasting, including 85,000 from severe wasting. 

Prolonged crises have impacted economic and social structures, leading to internal migration, negative coping mechanisms, violence against children and higher social protection needs and increased school drop-out. Risk of violence and exploitation affects an estimated 188,200 people who will require gender-based violence and protection services. About 630,000 school-age children living in drought- and cyclone-affected regions are at high risk of disrupted education and school drop-out. 

Malaria epidemics have increased the burden on Madagascar's already weak health services. More than 1.2 million malaria cases were reported across six regions--including Androy, Anosy, Atsimo Andrefana, Atsimo Atsinanana, Fitovinany, and Vatovavy--between January and September 2024, accounting for 45 per cent of the country’s total cases. In addition, 20 cyclone-damaged basic health centres are urgently in need of rehabilitation, a situation that impacts the provision of health care to more than 21,600 children. Approximately, 500,000 people will still need WASH interventions to mitigate the risks of malaria and polio epidemics.

In line with the national response of the Government of Madagascar, and complementing the work of partners, UNICEF will implement a disability- and gender-responsive humanitarian response ensuring accountability to affected communities; a focus on anticipatory actions; continued strengthening of early warning systems; and engagement in social and behaviour change. UNICEF efforts are in line with its Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action. 

UNICEF is a cluster/sector lead for the Nutrition and WASH clusters and Cash Working Group and co-leads the Education Cluster and Child Protection Area of Responsibility, enhancing coordination. UNICEF intends to support its humanitarian strategy by promoting coordinated, multi-risk analyses and an intersectoral, resilient-focused and locally led response. In line with the new country programme document, UNICEF has enhanced its field presence in eight humanitarian response regions and will collaborate with development actors for a more efficient humanitarian response. 

UNICEF will utilize available social protection mechnisms and reinforce systems to administer humanitarian cash transfers to cover up to 10 per cent of the population in need, as identified by the Cash Working Group. 

UNICEF will scale up the treatment of 365,000 children suffering from wasting and extend coverage to 114,000 women (up from the 2024 target of 31,500) who will receive multiple micronutrients supplementation. An early warning system will be implemented in all affected districts and UNICEF will strengthen its link with humanitarian cash transfers. Access to free primary health care for 157,100 people (more than 80,000 women and girls) will be improved by strengthening community and primary health care, including through outreach and a mobile strategy to facilitate access.

The priority for education will be to prepare the safe return to schools for 440,000 children with and without disabilities (including 224,400 girls) living in districts affected by the humanitarian crisis. This includes strengthening the management structure in affected schools through supporting training and retention of teachers, scaling up climate change adaptation plans at the school level and providing school kits as part of the back-to-school strategy. 

Child protection efforts will focus on strengthening protection monitoring systems, prevention of all forms of violence among affected communities – with a focus on gender-based violence in emergencies – and support to other sectors to prevent and mitigate protection risks. 

UNICEF will reinforce internal capacity on protection from sexual exploitation and abuse across all programmes, including in inter-agency support. Risk communication and community engagement will involve all stakeholders in delivering life-saving messages before, during and after disasters.