Madagascar - Food Insecurity
Regional Team: SWAN
Disaster Declared: 12/30/2005
Brief Description: Since early 2005, a sequence of events in Vangaindrano District along the southeastern coast of Madagascar has
created widespread food insecurity for as many as 400,000 residents. Heavy rainfall in February 2005 and subsequent flooding in March
destroyed the region's rice crop. Following the floods, a pest infestation consumed the sweet potato crop, the alternate nutritional
source for the region's population. An early end to the rains prevented farmers from planting additional crops, and the physical isolation
of Vangaindrano from regional markets hindered food from reaching the area, compounding the effect of the crop failures and food shortages.
Results from nutritional screening conducted in November 2005 revealed emergency level malnutrition rates.
On December 30, 2005, U.S. Ambassador James D. McGee declared a disaster due to the localized food insecurity and severe nutritional
crisis in Vangaindrano District. In response, OFDA is working closely with USAID's Office of Food for Peace (USAID/FFP) and
USAID/Madagascar to rehabilitate agricultural capacity and to improve the region's food security through the next harvest in May 2006. To
date, OFDA has provided more than $250,000 for emergency food security and agricultural programs.
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