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Madagascar appeals for aid
21/02/2007 19:09 - (SA)
Antananarivo - The government of the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar has declared a national emergency and appealed for international aid for the victims of devastating floods, said reports on Wednesday.
Three strong cyclones have rocked the impoverished island off Mozambique since December 25, leaving at least 85 000 hectares of rice fields under water. At least seven people have died in the storms that have been accompanied by heavy rains, often lasting for days.
Prime Minister Charles Rabemananjara has estimated at about 35 000 the number of people affected by the disaster, of which half live in the capital Antananarivo.
More than 8 000 people have been left homeless and roads and bridges across the country washed away. Large tents have been erected in Antananarivo to accommodate displaced residents from the poorest areas.
Foreign minister Marcel Ranjeva estimated at $242m the cost of infrastructural repairs and short- and long-term aid and care for the flood victims.
Another cyclone, Cyclone Favio, is currently swirling towards neighbouring Mozambique, where close to 90 000 people have evacuated their homes in recent weeks due to flooding. Angola, Zambia and Malawi have also been affected.
- SAPA
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