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.
If you want more information, you can contact us here
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