Cyclone Gezani Kills at Least 43 in Madagascar as 400,000 Face Acute Humanitarian Crisis

The port city of Toamasina lay in ruins last week after Tropical Cyclone Gezani made landfall on the evening of February 10 with sustained winds of 185 km/h and gusts reaching 250 km/h, making it one of the most powerful storms to strike Madagascar in the satellite era At least 20 dead as Cyclone Gezani ravages Madagascar, much of second-city in ruinsfrance24.com·SecondaryAt least 20 people have died after Cyclone Gezani crashed into Madagascar with devastating speeds on Tuesday, leaving two-thirds of the island nation’s second-biggest city Toamasina in ruins, officials said. A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday..

The death toll has climbed steadily since the initial reports. Madagascar's National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) confirmed at least 43 fatalities by Saturday, with six people still missing and more than 427 injured . Many of the deaths resulted from building collapses — a grim reminder that much of Madagascar's housing stock offers inadequate protection against major storms At least 20 dead as Cyclone Gezani ravages Madagascar, much of second-city in ruinsfrance24.com·SecondaryAt least 20 people have died after Cyclone Gezani crashed into Madagascar with devastating speeds on Tuesday, leaving two-thirds of the island nation’s second-biggest city Toamasina in ruins, officials said. A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday..

The scale of destruction in Toamasina, a coastal city of roughly 500,000 people and Madagascar's primary commercial port, has been staggering. Colonel Michael Randrianirina, the military leader who seized power in October, travelled to the city ahead of landfall and declared that "nearly 75 percent of Toamasina was destroyed" . The BNGRC reported more than 18,800 homes destroyed outright, with at least 50,000 additional dwellings damaged or flooded across the island Cyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 peoplealjazeera.com·SecondaryCyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 people Authorities in Madagascar say building collapses are responsible for many of the confirmed 20 deaths from Cyclone Gezani..

The humanitarian situation has deteriorated rapidly. Tania Goossens, the World Food Programme's country director for Madagascar, said on Friday that approximately 400,000 people now face acute humanitarian needs Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour.. "The scale of the destruction is really overwhelming," Goossens told reporters from Antananarivo after visiting the devastated city. She described Toamasina as operating on "roughly 5 percent of electricity" with no running water, and noted that WFP's own office and one warehouse had been "completely destroyed" Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour..

The crisis has been compounded by the fact that Gezani struck just three weeks after Tropical Cyclone Fytia killed 14 people and displaced more than 31,000 across the island . The back-to-back storms have overwhelmed an already fragile infrastructure. The main road linking Toamasina to the capital Antananarivo was severed in multiple locations, blocking humanitarian convoys at a critical moment Cyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 peoplealjazeera.com·SecondaryCyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 people Authorities in Madagascar say building collapses are responsible for many of the confirmed 20 deaths from Cyclone Gezani..

International aid has begun to arrive, though critics question whether it will be sufficient. China offered 100 million yuan (approximately $14.5 million) in assistance, while France dispatched food and rescue teams from its nearby Reunion Island territory . The United Nations had pre-positioned $3 million from its emergency response fund before the cyclone's landfall Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour.. But the WFP warned that its response faces an $18 million funding gap over the coming six months — a shortfall that predates the cyclone Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour..

The storm's trajectory has also raised concerns beyond Madagascar. After weakening as it crossed the island, Gezani re-intensified over the Mozambique Channel and was forecast to regain cyclone strength before approaching the southern Mozambican coast near the city of Inhambane . Mozambican authorities issued warnings of violent winds and 10-meter waves, and residents were seen sandbagging rooftops and barricading windows Cyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 peoplealjazeera.com·SecondaryCyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 people Authorities in Madagascar say building collapses are responsible for many of the confirmed 20 deaths from Cyclone Gezani..

Meteorologists have noted Gezani's unusual intensity. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center classified it as a high-end Category 3 storm on the Saffir-Simpson scale, with the cyclone undergoing rapid intensification from a moderate tropical storm to an intense tropical cyclone in just 24 hours Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour.. Some experts have drawn comparisons to Cyclone Geralda in 1994, which killed at least 200 people and affected half a million — though the full extent of Gezani's damage is still being assessed Cyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 peoplealjazeera.com·SecondaryCyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 people Authorities in Madagascar say building collapses are responsible for many of the confirmed 20 deaths from Cyclone Gezani..

The political context adds another layer of complexity. Randrianirina's military government, which took power through a coup just four months ago, is facing its first major governance test. His call for "international solidarity" has been met with a measured response from Western nations, some of which have not formally recognized his government Cyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 peoplealjazeera.com·SecondaryCyclone slams into Madagascar, killing at least 20 people Authorities in Madagascar say building collapses are responsible for many of the confirmed 20 deaths from Cyclone Gezani.. Whether the crisis strengthens or undermines his legitimacy may depend on how effectively aid reaches those in need.

For ordinary Malagasy, the immediate concern is survival. Even before the back-to-back cyclones, 1.57 million people across Madagascar were food insecure, with 84,000 facing emergency levels of hunger, according to the IPC food security monitoring system Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour.. The cyclone season still has weeks to run, and the lean season — when food stocks are at their lowest — is at its peak. "Families are telling us that they have lost everything," Goossens said. "Many are sheltering in damaged homes or temporary sites and uncertain about how they can access their next meal" Cyclone kills 20 in Madagascar as 2nd-largest city '75% destroyed'france24.com·SecondaryAntananarivo (Madagascar) (AFP) – A cyclone packing violent winds killed at least 20 people as it struck Madagascar, toppling houses and causing major flooding, the Indian Ocean island's disaster authority said Wednesday. Cyclone Gezani made landfall on Tuesday, slamming into the country's second-largest city, Toamasina, with winds reaching 250 kilometres (155 miles) per hour..