Malteser International prepares emergency response
Cologne/Antananarivo. On Saturday evening, Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the east coast of Madagascar with wind speeds of up to 235 km/h. Tens of thousands of people were forced to flee to safety and were accommodated in emergency shelters. The district of Mananjary, more than 530 kilometres southeast of the capital, was particularly hard hit. Together with the Order of Malta in Madagascar, Malteser International is preparing first aid for the people in the region.
"Some villages were mostly destroyed. But the full extent of the destruction is not yet apparent. The cyclone is still sweeping across the country. It is currently moving from east to west. The wind has weakened, but heavy rains are now following. The people in Madagascar urgently need our help," says Dr Gaby Rakotondrabe, Malteser International's emergency relief worker in Madagascar.
A fortnight ago, a cyclone had already swept across Madagascar, leaving tens of thousands of people homeless.
Attention editors:
Dr. Gaby Rakotondrabe, Malteser International's emergency relief worker in Madagascar (English and French), and
Oliver Hochedez, Head of the Emergency Department of Malteser International in Cologne, are available for interviews and sound bites.
Operator: +49 (0)221 98227 181, katharina.kiecol(at)malteser-international.org
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Keyword: "Cyclone Madagascar"
