The United Nations and its humanitarian partners are ramping up preparedness efforts in anticipation of tropical cyclone Batsirai which is expected to make landfall in Madagascar over the weekend with lives, livelihoods and harvest at risk. It is predicted that about 600, 000 people will be directly affected and more than 150, 000 likely to be displaced. Madagascar is still recovering from tropical storm Ana which wreaked havoc in the country late January.  

Speaking to the media at a news briefing at the United Nations in Geneva, Clare Nullis, Spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) said that “Madagascar is bracing for a much more powerful cyclone called Batsirai. It’s currently the equivalent of a category 3 storm and the WMO regional center which is based in La Réunion supported by ‘Météo France’, they are forecasting there is the potential threat to strengthen further ahead of landfall into a category 4 equivalent storm. So that means with winds of about 200 km/hours”.

According to forecasts, Batsirai will make landfall in Eastern Madagascar on Saturday in the region of Mahanoro. The cyclone is also expected to bring heavy rains to Mozambique.

“We anticipate a significant humanitarian impact in Madagascar, including in areas that are still recovering from Tropical Storm Ana in late January”, said Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). “Our efforts under the Government of Madagascar’s leadership include preparing for the pre-deployment of search and rescue capacity and response teams to areas likely to be impacted, aircrafts being placed on standby to support rapid assessment and response.”

According to WMO, tropical cyclone experts describe Batsirai as “very dangerous”, especially if strengthening into an intense tropical cyclone threating lives and livelihoods in Madagascar. Batsirai will exacerbate the already dire humanitarian situation after tropical storm Ana.

“We have a drought in all parts of Madagascar which has been severe, and this continues to keep the country busy”, said Pasqualina Disirio, Country Director in Madagascar of the World Food Programme (WFP). “We had the cyclone Ana just less than 10 days ago, one week ago, with 55 deaths. So, there is a major destruction particular of the infrastructure and also the rice field. You know you have to understand that this is the moment for Madagascar and for these islands to prepare for the rice culture, the crops, and they are not yet just there. So, all these crops they might be completely lost”.

Batsirai is estimated to bring 50-100 mm of rain fall late Friday with the main bulk falling through Saturday where a further 300 mm of rain could accumulate.

“The authorities, ourselves, we are reacting for this cyclone and we have this one coming tomorrow, it’s expected in the morning, which is expected to impact more than 600, 000 people with 150, 000 displaced”, said WFP’s county director. “So, it’s a major crisis, as we can see if it’s really becoming more stronger that it is now it can be worse. So, we all are very nervous”.   

Due to the unusual dry conditions at this time of the year, there is an increased risks of flash flood and landslides during an extreme rainfall such as predicted for cyclone Batsirai.

“We are in the tropical cyclone season in the Indian ocean, so we are going to see cyclones, we are going to see rainfall”, said WMO’s Clare Nullis. She added that “Madagascar, it has been a dryer wet season than normal so far, it’s not uniform across the whole Madagascar and it’s really southern Madagascar where really is the bad drought. At this stage, it’s not completely clear if the rainfall from this cyclone is going to hit the whole of the drought affected area”.

WFP is working closely with the government in the preparedness efforts. The World Food Programme has been able to provide logistics support to search and rescue efforst, conducted needs assessments and organized food distributions.

“The Government, by the way, has declared this day today as a day to prepare for the event. So, people are not going to work, they have been asked to work remotely, and also the kids are not in school, because they needed to prepare some of the infrastructure as refuge”, said WFP’s country director.

Extreme weather events like cyclones have become more frequent in Southern Africa driving hunger and eroding development. The ongoing cyclone season (October 2021 to May 2022) is expected to see eight to twelve tropical systems.

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1. Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva, UN flags flying.
2. Wide shot, press briefing room at UN Geneva.
3. SOUNDBITE (English): Clare Nullis, Spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO): “Madagascar is bracing for a much more powerful cyclone called Batsirai. It’s currently the equivalent of a category 3 storm and the WMO regional center which is based in La Réunion supported by ‘Météo France’, they are forecasting there is the potential threat to strengthen further ahead of landfall into a category 4 equivalent storm. So that means with winds of about 200 km/hours”.
4. Medium shot, TV screen with speakers and cameras behind
5. SOUNDBITE (English) – Jens Laerke, Spokesperson for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA): “We anticipate a significant humanitarian impact in Madagascar, including in areas that are still recovering from Tropical Storm Ana in late January. Our efforts under the Government of Madagascar’s leadership include preparing for the pre-deployment of search and rescue capacity and response teams to areas likely to be impacted, aircrafts being placed on standby to support rapid assessment and response.”
6. Wide shot, press briefing room with journalists and cameraman attending
7. SOUNDBITE (English): Pasqualina Disirio, Country Director in Madagascar of the World Food Programme (WFP): “We have a drought in all parts of Madagascar which has been severe, and this continues to keep the country busy. We had the cyclone Ana just less than 10 days ago, one week ago with 55 deaths. So, there is a major destruction particular of the infrastructure and also the rice field. You know you have to understand that this is the moment for Madagascar and for these islands to prepare for the rice culture, the crops, and they are not yet just there. So, all these crops they might be completely lost”.
8. Medium shot, journalists taking notes
9. SOUNDBITE (English): Pasqualina Disirio, Country Director in Madagascar of the World Food Programme (WFP): “The authorities, ourselves, we are reacting for this cyclone and we have this one coming tomorrow, it’s expected in the morning, which is expected to impact more than 600, 000 people with 150, 000 displaced. So, it’s a major crisis, as we can see if it’s really becoming more stronger that it is now it can be worse. So, we all are very nervous”.
10. Close up, spokesperson typing
11. SOUNDBITE (English): Clare Nullis, Spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO): “We are in the tropical cyclone season in the Indian ocean, so we are going to see cyclones, we are going to see rainfall. Madagascar it has been a dryer wet season than normal so far, it’s not uniform across the whole Madagascar and it’s really southern Madagascar where really is the bad drought. At this stage, it’s not completely clear if the rainfall from this cyclone is going to hit the whole of the drought affected area”.
12. Wide shot, speakers at the podium
13. SOUNDBITE (English): Pasqualina Disirio, Country Director in Madagascar of the World Food Programme (WFP): “The Government, by the way, has declared this day today as a day to prepare for the event. So, people are not going to work, they have been asked to work remotely, and also the kids are not in school, because they needed to prepare some of the infrastructure as refuge”.
14. Wide shot, speakers at the podium
15. Medium shot, spokesperson from behind
16. Close up, hand with pen writing