Cyclones FYTIA & GEZANI Response Plan
February – June 2026
Highlights
Madagascar is highly exposed to tropical cyclones, which carry significant risks for children—through displacement, disease outbreaks, interrupted schooling, heightened protection risks, family separation and reduced access to life-saving services such as health care and safe water. In early 2026, two major cyclones struck in quick succession: Tropical Cyclone FYTIA hit the north-west on 31 January, followed by Intense Tropical Cyclone GEZANI striking the east coast on 10 February. The back-to-back cyclones have escalated needs and stretched response capacity in a country where many children already face chronic vulnerability and limited access to essential services. The situation is further complicated by an ongoing Mpox outbreak in parts of Madagascar, increasing health and protection risks. UNICEF is scaling up a multi-sector response focused on life-saving support for children and families in the worst-affected locations.
Tropical Cyclone FYTIA (north-west)
Cyclone FYTIA formed in the Mozambique Channel on 28 January and rapidly intensified as it moved east toward Madagascar. It made landfall at around 04:00 on 31 January 2026 in Soalala District, Boeny Region, with sustained winds estimated at 150 km/h and gusts up to 210 km/h near the centre. The cyclone caused widespread damage to housing and public infrastructure—including administrative buildings, schools and health facilities—and brought heavy rains and flooding that affected additional districts as it moved inland. Access constraints have complicated the response and physical access to the worst-affected districts remains largely limited to air transport due to extensive road damage and flooding, with river and maritime access only gradually resuming. Initial assessments reported 164,714 people affected—including 79,063 children—and 40,000 displaced, with 18,600 homes damaged or destroyed. Education infrastructure was heavily impacted, with 184 classrooms destroyed, 65 partially destroyed, and 131 with roofs blown off, while approximately 10 health facilities sustained damage. Fifteen schools were used as temporary shelters across the region, reflecting the scale of displacement and pressure on basic services.
Intense Tropical Cyclone GEZANI (east)
Intense Tropical Cyclone GEZANI struck Madagascar’s east coast on 10 February 2026, making landfall near Tamatave, the country’s second-largest city and main port—with wind gusts exceeding 250 km/h. The system weakened as it crossed the country but continued to bring torrential rains and flooding, before moving into the Mozambique Channel. GEZANI caused extensive damage to housing and critical infrastructure across three districts of Atsinanana Region, disrupting electricity and water networks, roads and essential public facilities.
As of 18 February, assessments indicate that in Atsinanana Region, 416,044 people were directly affected, including 203,513 children including 20,800 displaced. While many people are leaving displacement sites to return home to rebuild, many services are still not functional. Authorities have reported 102,000 homes damaged or destroyed. Essential services have been severely disrupted: electricity and water supply were reported as fully cut, the RN2, the main artery to the city was closed for three days, both university hospitals sustained major damage, and multiple basic health centres reported infrastructure impacts, including vaccine cold-chain disruption. Damage to education infrastructure was significant: 23 classrooms were destroyed, 90 partially damaged, and 963 had their roofs torn completely off, disrupting learning for nearly 60,000 children. The central prison was also damaged, requiring temporary arrangements for 46 detained boys aged 13–17, and the centre providing integrated services to child survivors of sexual violence was destroyed.
Humanitarian needs across cyclone-affected areas continue to grow, with almost 581,000 people—including approximately 274,080 children—estimated to require some form of assistance, as displacement, damaged housing and disruption of essential services heighten risks for children. UNICEF has activated Level 1 emergency procedures to support a rapid, coordinated scale-up with government and partners. UNICEF and partners will deliver integrated, life-saving support across water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health, nutrition, education, child protection, social and behaviour change, and PSEA/GBV risk mitigation, prioritizing the most affected and hardest-to-reach communities.
