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afrol News, 7 February - The floods in central Madagascar have left almost 40,000 individuals homeless, damaged significant parts of harvests and isolated several towns. Now, there are an increasing number of signs of possible epidemic outbreaks due to contaminated drinking water and generally weak health conditions. The World Food Programme (WFP) today reports that the risk of epidemics in Madagascar "continues to rise and conjunctiva is now spreading at an alarming rate." An investigation, which only had covered the three communes of Masomeloka, Nosy Varika and Mananjary on the east coast, registered over 3,400 homeless persons and "major cases of conjunctiva and diarrhoea." These are often the first signs of even worse epidemics. If the situation worsens, there is a substantial risk that cholera may break out in the most affected parts of the island. Cholera epidemics often appear in the aftermath of floods, when excrements are mixed with drinking water. The low physical resistance of the local population - due to last year's political crisis and the food shortage caused by the floods - the risk of an epidemic gets even higher. The last time Madagascar was hit by a severe cholera outbreak, in 1999-2000, over 15,000 persons were infected and 860 lost their lives. Meanwhile, the floods are detracting in most parts of the island. In the capital, Antananarivo, there are however reports of continued flooding, especially in the "low-lying neighbourhoods, which suffer from the highest malnutrition rates." Damages to harvests have been substantial almost all over the island. WFP reports that in certain areas, "70 percent of rice fields are flooded and 99 percent of banana and other fruit trees are damaged." Coping mechanisms are strained as during the current lean season, bananas and other fruits are normally consumed, the UN agency warns. There has also been great damage to infrastructure, which had not been completely reconstructed after the numerous acts of sabotage last year. Several landslides on main national roads had for example totally isolated the community of Marolambo, WFP reports. Roads are closed, bridges have collapsed and there has been done much damage to drinking water supply. The Malagasy floods are a result of the Cyclone Fari, which crossed the island in January and killed 13 persons. The cyclone in particular affected the central and northern parts of the island, the same regions that had seen most damage done during the conflict last year. The drier, southern part of the island escaped the cyclone, but on the other hand is partly facing drought. Madagascar is still economically suffering the consequences of the
power struggle between ex-President Ratsiraka and President Ravalomanana
last year. According to government estimations, the unrest resulted in a
12 percent decline of GDP last year, with the heaviest burden falling on
the poorest part of the population. Poverty also increased significantly,
now affecting 75 percent of Malagasies (up from 69 percent in 2001).
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