Madagascar — humanitarian situation

Madagascar faces a deepening humanitarian crisis driven by climate shocks and chronic vulnerabilities, with acute food insecurity expected to deteriorate significantly in the second half of 2026. Cyclone Gezani struck on 10 February 2026, killing over 60 people, injuring 800, and displacing 16,000 MDM. The storm compounded pre-existing fragilities in the Grand Sud, where prolonged drought and below-average harvests have exhausted household food stocks atypically early. Over one million people in the south face malnutrition threats MDM, and 80 percent of Madagascar's population subsists on less than 2 euros per day MDM. Food security outcomes are rapidly deteriorating. Crisis (IPC Phase 3) conditions emerged in July in Toliara II and Amboasary Atsimo as poor households depleted stocks ahead of schedule following crop failures in cassava and sweet potato FEWS NET. By October 2026, Crisis outcomes are projected to expand across multiple areas of Atsimo-Andrefana, Androy, and parts of Anosy, with the number of people facing crisis-level hunger expected to surge by 75 percent between October and February (Save the Children). Approximately half a million children under five—roughly one in ten—are experiencing or projected to experience acute malnutrition (Save the Children). WFP provided unconditional food assistance to 531,000 people in the Grand Sud during June, including 38,593 children aged 6–23 months and 32,159 pregnant and breastfeeding women receiving acute malnutrition prevention support WFP. This marked the final cycle of the 2025–2026 lean season response. Climate change continues to exacerbate resource scarcity and community tensions in the south. Depletion of water, forests, and land is intensifying inequalities and driving conflicts between local populations and new arrivals IOM. Funding constraints present additional challenges, with protection partners reporting significant capacity reductions across child protection programming and coordination between March and May 2026 (Protection Cluster, UNHCR). The combination of an early lean season, anticipated El Niño effects, market dependence amid rising food prices, and diminished humanitarian funding threatens to sustain elevated acute food insecurity through early 2027 FEWS NET.