Cyclone Batsirai Devastates Madagascar: Death Toll Climbs to 92
Cyclone Batsirai has raised the death toll in Madagascar to 92, displacing 91,000 people and destroying homes and crops. The cyclone is the second in two weeks, complicating an already serious food crisis caused by drought.
The death toll in Madagascar from Cyclone Batsirai has tragically increased to 92, as reported by the state disaster relief agency. This cyclone struck the country’s southeastern coast late on Saturday, damaging homes and power lines, while affecting approximately 91,000 people, either through destroyed or damaged residences.
The relief agency revised the death count upward from 29 to 80 earlier on Wednesday, emphasizing that out of these, 60 fatalities occurred in the Ikongo district. Details are still being gathered from the affected areas, particularly Ikongo, where a local member of parliament indicated a high number of victims who drowned or were crushed by collapsing houses.
Batsirai represents the second severe storm to hit Madagascar within a fortnight, following Cyclone Ana, which led to 55 deaths and displaced around 130,000 individuals in a separate northern region. The country, with a population nearing 30 million, faces considerable challenges due to ongoing food shortages stemming from a lengthy drought.
The World Food Programme has noted that Cyclone Batsirai exacerbated the dire food situation by destroying crops of rice, fruits, and vegetables that were due for harvest. Additionally, the cyclone resulted in extensive flooding, rendering 12 roads and 14 bridges unusable, which hindered relief efforts to the hardest-hit areas.
In conclusion, Cyclone Batsirai has caused devastating damage in Madagascar, with rising fatalities and extensive displacement. This disaster compounds existing food security issues, emphasizing the urgent need for humanitarian aid and long-term solutions to climate-related challenges faced by the nation.
Original Source: www.aljazeera.com
