These factors have plunged the region into a catastrophic humanitarian crisis, leaving thousands of children severely ill and pushing families into extreme poverty. In response, government agencies and humanitarian organizations like MSF have increased assistance to treat acute malnutrition and stepped up emergency food aid for the 1.3 million people currently living in this critical situation.
But Madagascar’s geography makes it difficult to get aid to the people who need it. The island’s semi-arid southern regions have many remote villages and few paved roads. Since the end of March , MSF mobile clinics have been treating malnourished children in the districts of Amboasary and Ambovombe and distributing food rations in approximately 20 locations. The teams have been visiting particularly remote and impoverished villages and responding to alerts sent by local health authorities.
About 300 metric tons of food have already been distributed, and another 750 are expected to be distributed by October. In addition to the ongoing water distribution to 30,000 people, new wells and boreholes are planned. And approximately 100 patients were hospitalized in June and July in a dedicated facility built and managed by MSF within the Ambovombe Hospital.
But a greater response is urgently needed. “We’re seeing malnourished children struggling to regain weight after weeks of treatment in our mobile clinics,” said Bérengère Guais, MSF head of emergency programs. “The medical care we provide and the half-rations different organizations have been distributing are not enough to reverse the trend in a setting where there is so little access to food. A massive increase in emergency food assistance is an absolute priority.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).