United Nations System

Office of the Resident Coordinator – Madagascar

This report is issued by Madagascar UNCT and covers the period from 13 to 14 February 2011.

I. HIGHLIGHTS/KEY PRIORITIES
o Cyclone Bingiza, the first major weather system to strike Madagascar this cyclone season, provoked
torrential rainfall in the Northeast coast of Madagascar. The following five districts of Soanierana
Ivongo, Sainte Marie, North of Mananara, Maroantsetra and Mandritsara have been affected by
landfall in the early hours of 14 February. The damage caused by the category three cyclone, which had
sustained wind speeds of 160 kilometres per hour with gusts of up to 220 kilometres per hour, has yet to be
established as this region is already completely isolated in normal period.
o From the information gathered so far, the district of Northern Mananara, which is the most
densely populated (150 to 300 hab/km²) has been the most affected one. According to unofficial
source, 80% of the houses in this city have been damaged. With regard to the districts of Sainte
Marie Soanierana Ivongo, which were both hit by the cyclone in the early hours of today, very
limited damages have been recorded.
o From my afternoon conversation with the Director of the Disaster risk Management Agency
(BNGRC), several public building and electric facilities have been damaged in Maroantsetra and
Mandritsara districts but so far no human loss reported.
o High winds and low clouds are currently preventing an immediate assessment of the damage caused by
Bingiza. However, weather permitting a joint aerial assessment mission conducted by CARE International
and Ministry of public works will be carried out tomorrow morning for two days. A meeting will be called on
Thursday morning to share the mission findings and recommendations with the humanitarian actors.  
o In case the scale of this emergency greatly exceeds the response capacity of the Malagasy government's
Disaster Risk Management Agency (BNGRC), UN support will be sought and a flash appeal launched.
o For time being the population in areas at risk has been asked to stay home.

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II. Humanitarian Needs and Response

Emergency Shelter and Camp coordination

o The Malagasy Red Cross has started data collection on the number of IDPs in the affected area.

Logistics

o The first aerial assessment, conducted by CARE International Emergency team, with the
participation of an engineer from the Ministry of the Public Works will take place tomorrow.
o The "Corps de Protection Civile" team has been deployed and is now based in the districts of
Tamatave and Fenerive Est.
o There is a possibility for the UN to contact UNSPIDER services for eventual assistance but we
are waiting for the aerial mission findings to activate this request.
o A draft proposal is also being prepared by the UN in case we need to make a request for the
Emergency Cash Grant.

Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

o In close collaboration with NGOs UNICEF has moved its stocks initially prepositioned in
Tamatave to the nearest district in the affected area. These items will be deployed in the district of
North Mananara as soon as weather permits.

III. Coordination

In preparation for the cyclone season, the National Contingency Plan has been updated in November
2010 with several simulation exercises carried out with UN support. The National Office for Disaster Risk
Management is in charge of the coordination of all interventions in collaboration with its partners (national
NGOs, ministries, etc.) and with support from the Humanitarian Country Team.

The first meeting between the BNGRC, OCHA/RCO and Meteorological services took place on Sunday
13rd February to anticipate any emergency intervention.

BNGRC teams have been deployed in the field since Saturday to support field coordination and data
transmission.

The first meeting of the National Humanitarian Platform chaired by BNGRC took place this afternoon and
information was shared on the level of damages in areas where local committee were able to
communicate this kind of information.

An UNCT extraordinary meeting will be called tomorrow 15 February to review the UN preparedness and
response capacity.

IV. Funding

USAID funded the first aerial assessment that will be taking place tomorrow.  

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V. Contacts in Madagascar

Ms Fatma Samoura, Resident Coordinator reachable until Wednesday 16 February evening.

Fatma.samoura@undp.org . Tel+ 261 33 15 00 870

Then
Mr. Bruno Maes, UNICEF Representative and RC a.i from Thursday 17 to Monday 28 February.
bmaes@unicef.org. Tel + 261 331 13 99 36- +261 320 53 99 36

Rija Rakotoson, Humanitarian Affairs Officer,

rakotoson@un.org, +261 32 05 076 93

For more information, please visit www.reliefweb.int.

To be added or deleted from this SitRep mailing list, please email rakotoson@un.org or visit
www.ochaonline.org/countryx

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