The island nation of Madagascar, already reeling from flooding rains from Tropical Storm Ana on January 22 and a devastating drought in southern parts of the nation, is bracing for the expected arrival of Tropical Cyclone Batsirai on Saturday.
The Joint Typhoon Warning Center predicts that Batsirai will continue tracking west-southwest and gradually weaken, making landfall in east-central Madagascar around 12Z (3 p.m. local time) Saturday, February 5, as a category 2 storm. The coast there is moderately populated, and damage from storm surge and wind is likely to be extensive. However, the biggest concern from Batsirai will be its widespread rains of 8-16” expected to affect a populated area. Batsari’s heavy rain area may end up just south of the most heavily populated city in the country, the capital of Antananarivo, but the nation’s third-largest city, Antsirabe (population 250,000) will likely get rains in excess of 10 inches.
Unfortunately, Batsirai’s rains will mostly miss the Diocese of Toliara in, southern Madagascar, where a multiyear drought has 1.6 million people at high levels of acute food insecurity.
Remembering how Jesus calmed the storm when out in the boat with the disciples, please continue to pray for Tropical Cyclone Batsirai to weaken before hitting Madagascar – and pray for rain to fall in the south where crops are growing nicely but need water to survive.
Many areas around the world are experiencing more turbulent weather than they are accustomed to dealing with. This is especially challenging for the poor.
Last week, Cyclone Ana hit central Madagascar, including the capital Antananarivo, on its way to mainland Africa, causing severe flooding and a river to break its banks. At least 48 were killed and 130,000 people have been forced to flee their homes to makeshift shelters. Johary, Rev. Canon Donné’s eldest son, sent this photo from Anosibe Anala where he now lives and works:
He says “The house where I live is at the top of the hill, so I think my family and I are safe but the other people down there need much prayer. There are some houses that we can’t see anymore, the cultivated areas are really destroyed, as are all the bridges from here to the the town where we import some of our needs like oil, salt, rice. So we know that prices will go up and some people will fall into famine.”
News reports indicate that there are fears that a second cyclone (Tropical Cyclone Batsirai) will hit the east coast of Madagascar this coming weekend. You can monitor the progress of approaching storms on the METEO Madagascar website
The Diocese of Toliara is several hundred miles south of the capital. Bishop Samy tells us that it was 110 degrees F (43 degrees C) on Sunday and Monday in Toliara. The heat is suffocating and burning in the south west particularly Toliara, Andranovory, Betioky and Ampanihy. There is serious famine in Betioky.
It is crucial that this rainy season delivers adequate rain to prevent a return to drought-induced famine and to allow crops to grow, without there being so much rain that damage is done.
Please remember all these situations and the people of Madagascar in your prayers
On Thanksgiving Day here in America, may we join with the Malagasy in giving thanks for the recent rain in Ambovombe in the last week or so, but understandably grateful as they are to have water they are sad to only have this dirty water to drink.
Bishop Samitiana reports from Morondava that they have just had their first rain since 2019, while they were praying in All Saint’s Church, Morondava. Praise God!
The Archdeacon’s wife, Neny Oliviah, reports that it has also rained at the Cathedral Complex. The first rain of the season in Toliara town.
Please join in praying for this to be a good rainy season in Madagascar, filling the rivers and streams, and raising underground water levels.
As the the COP26 global climate summit is about to start in Scotland, Anglican Bishop Gilbert of Fianarantsoa (a neighboring Diocese of Toliara) says the island nation is suffering its worst famine in a generation, and urges the world to address climate change.
He warns that at least one million people may be at risk.
A single mother feeds her 4 children – photo courtesy of Bishop Gilbert
When he refers to the south of the country, he is talking about the Diocese of Toliara: “The situation south of the country is not good. Out of our 22 regions, it has been hit the hardest. Some crops have also been destroyed by bandits.”
In responding to the current situation, Rakotondravelo believes the Body of Christ in Madagascar will do well not to live in isolation. Please join us in praying for the island of Madagascar as the people suffer this dreadful famine, and for the global climate summit.
Today there were distributions of 50 sacks of rice through the Anglican Church in Beabo, Ambovombe, and a further distribution of 50 sacks through the Church at Beloha. Each distribution will feed 60 families.
Rice sacks at Beloha
At Beloha Church
Distribution of rice in Beloha,
Dean Donne brought the rice from Fort Dauphin.
Thanks be to God for the generosity of the friends who donated the money for this.
The UN’s World Food Programme expects that three consecutive years of drought and a recession, triggered by the Coronavirus pandemic, will leave more than 1.3 million people suffering from food insecurity.
Click photo to watch the BBC video on famine in Toliara
Many thanks to all the individuals and organisations who have sent funds to the Diocese for Famine Relief. They will provide food and water for many, and we will continue to keep you updated as distributions are made. The famine has created a serious rural exodus and migration to the bigger towns of Fort Dauphin and Toliara. People have been forced to leave their homelands by the lack of water and food.
In December, rice distributions were made in four southern Parishes that were in particular need: Amboasary, Andranovory, Betioky and Toliara.
FAMINE RELIEF REPORT – DECEMBER 2020 ANGLICAN DIOCESE OF TOLIARA, MADAGASCAR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT
There are four parishes affected by this famine in 2020:
1. Andranohinaly (Toliara Parish)
Activity: distribution of clean drinking water Quantity: 25,000 liters Overall goal: 25,000 liters of water supply: 5000 liters per visit every 5 days Specific goal: 20 liters / person Number of beneficiaries: 1250 people (All people in village, not just Christians)
2. Andranovory (Andranovory Parish)
Activity: distribution of clean drinking water Quantity: 25,000 liters Overall goal: 25,000 liters of water supply: 5000 liters per visit every 5 days Specific goal: 20 liters / person Number of beneficiaries: 1250 people (All people in village, not just Christians)
General problem: On the second visit, the Committee and the Priest found that there was less than 3800 liters of water in the system.
Solution: Mr. Ialy (Diocesan Economic Development Coordinator) and the business owner (Mr. Mourad) consulted and decided to fill in the holes before using the 16,000-liter water tank. Evangelist Dacise reported that this was completed on Saturday, December 19, 2020.
3. Ampanihy (Betioky Parish)
Work: rice distribution Size: 2650 kg (53 bags) General purpose: rice supply for famine-struck families Specific goal: 5kg / family Results: 530 families benefited from the 5kg / family Executive: Church Committee and Evangelist and Mr. Ialy (Diocesan Economic Development Coordinator) Equipment of work: cart
Work: rice distribution Size: 5250kg (105 bags) General purpose: rice supply for famine-struck families Specific target: 2.6kg / person Results: 2,000 people benefited from the 2.6kg per person Executive: Church and Deacons Committee, Ward Presbyter, and Mr. Ialy (Diocesan Economic Development Coordinator) Performance equipment: 4×4 wheel drive
Last month, WFP conducted an assessment in Amboasary, the hardest-hit district, which revealed that three-quarters of children were forced to drop out of school so they could help their families forage for food.
“Most of the women that we spoke to said they had nothing to feed their young children except the red cactus pears that grow on the roadside”, said Mr. Phiri.
Deacon Gaston (Amboasary Parish) and Mr Ialy (Economic Development Coordinator) report terrible news from the Androy and Anosy regions in the southern parts of our Diocese. In the 2019 – 2020 rainy season, southern Madagascar suffered a lack of rainfall, which led to the failure of crops and livestock production. Now it is summer again, and the strong winds are building up drying up the land, and the water in the land. Even wells are empty.
Start in August, severe famine has happened in south of Madagascar. Some 120,000 children, youth and elderly people are affected by acute malnutrition. They have been so desperate for food they have started eating ash combined with tamarin fruit or cactus leaves.
Food security has deteriorated and malnutrition has increased, and now more people are in crisis situation. With the additional impact of COVID-19 restrictions, this situation may deteriorate even further as the lean season is approaching (January – March 2021).
Ialy tells us the story of his family, who wanted to leave the countryside:
Anantsoa is his aunt’s daughter. She is 39 years old, married with 3 children (10, 14 & 16 years old). They lived in Ambovombe town. When the famine happened they moved north to the countryside, around 78 km from the town. They cut trees and dry forest to make charcoal, which they would sell for money for their daily food and to buy zebu and goats for breeding. Their place is very far from the wells, so they do not use water to wash their hands, face or body.
Her husband went to get help for them, but died on the journey. Anantsoa and the children were so very weak they died on the same day (November 7, 2020). Ialy’s aunt discovered this when she went by cart to move them to town. The chief of the village came and decided with my aunt to bury them there.
Famine and drought in this area is not new, but this year it is very severe. People want to leave this area and move to somewhere with water and where they can grow crops and look after their livestock, but they do not have the strength or money to do so. They can’t even sell their cattle and goats to enable this. In normal times, zebu (local cattle) sell for 600,000 ariary and goats are 60,000 ariary. Now the best price they can get for them are 40,000 for a cow, and 4,000 for a goat. At present water, is being brought to the area from Fort Dauphin (4 hours drive away) and even further away in trucks – and is very expensive.
Rev. Gaston buying water
Rain fell in the middle of November, for which the people give thanks to God, but it was not enough.
Collecting rain water
Please pray for rain in the area, for the rivers and underground water sources to be filled, but not that there is so much rain that damage is caused by it. Please pray for the long-planned for water supply connection to be built.
Please pray for an end to this suffering and for large organisations such as the World Food Program, Water Aid and UNICEF to get involved again and provide much-needed aid in this area.
The Diocese needs your help to provide rice and beans to alleviate this suffering. Please consider making a donation now via SAMS-USA or via Give.net / CMS in the UK.
In May 2020 we distributed 21 sacks of rice in the South Amboasary parish to the districts of Amboasary South, Ambovombe, Tsihombe and Beloha. 672 people received 5 cups of rice each.
We distributed 21 bags of rice for the most vulnerable in the South Amboasary parish in May 2020. There were 672 people who benefited so they received 5 cups of rice for each. The donation of the 21 bags of rice was shared in the 5 districts of the Parish.
We also distributed 100 water tanks with taps to conserve water through these 5 districts above. This was funded by a donation from WOGI (Wings Of Grace International) and the Diocese which provided the foundations for these tanks.
News Source: Department of Diocesan Development, Toliara.
