From WEEKLY NEWS 11/00
The international assistance to victims
of the two cyclones which have devastated parts of north-east and central
Madagascar gathered pace on 16 March with the arrival of a 40-tonne donation
from the Netherlands Red Cross. The consignment of non-food items
including emergency medical kits, plastic sheeting, blankets, kitchen sets
and water purification tablets will be delivered to about 50,000 people
in 20 districts. "We aim to assist those people who have lost
homes and belongings - as well as villages which have been cut off by the
floods following the cyclones," said Pierre Lenoble of the Malagasy
Red Cross. Working closely with the National Relief Council, the
Malagasy Red Cross has already been giving out blankets and relief items
from its own stocks. Supported by Federation delegates, an appeal
is being launched to provide not only priority assistance, but also longer-term
needs such as reconstruction materials, tools and seeds as well as disaster
prevention activities. The French Red Cross is also providing support to
the National Society in needs assessment and logistics. One of the main
frustrations for humanitarian organizations currently working in Madagascar
is the difficulty in delivering aid because so many roads and bridges have
been destroyed. However, Red Cross volunteers in the affected areas
have been contacting their headquarters, saying they are ready to carry
food and basic items on their backs "through hell and high water"
to reach those in real need.
WEEKLY NEWS IS PUBLISHED BY THE INTERNATIONAL FEDERATION OF RED CROSS AND RED CRESCENT SOCIETIES
17 Chemin des Crêts, Geneva
Tel: (41 22) 730 4222
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E-mail: weeklynews@ifrc.org