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Tropical Cyclone Gezani began forming over the South West Indian Ocean on 3 February. By 5 February, forecasts from Météo Madagascar indicated that Gezani was likely to intensify into a severe tropical cyclone by 9 February, with a potential landfall on Madagascar’s east coast the next day. Initially, meteorological projections issued by the National Meteorological Authority (DGM) suggested that the system would weaken before making landfall. However, as the cyclone approached the Malagasy coastline, these predictions worsened, showing a strengthening system with a higher likelhood of severely impacting Madagascar. On 9 February, the Anticipatory Action (AA) activation threshold (a forecast of an intense tropical cyclone passing within 100 km of the coast with wind speeds exceeding 166 km/h) was reached. This triggered the immediate release of anticipatory funding and the operational deployment of a WFP team to east of Madagascar to deliver: 1. Anticipatory cash transfers to 3,150 vulnerable individuals on 10 February, with each household receiving 240,000 Ariary (equivalent to USD 54.19), corresponding to a two-month food ration. This disbursement aimed to ensure that households could meet their immediate food needs and take preventive measures before the cyclone’s landfall. 2. The dissemination of early warning and preparedness messages to over 5000 people through community-level sensitization activities (e.g.: door-to-door and local group outreach) which reinforced safety guidance and allowed households to take protective action before landfall. Cyclone Gezani made landfall during the night of 10 to 11 February 2026, bringing destructive winds of 180 km/h and gusts of around 250 km/h as well as heavy rainfall expected to impact multiple districts across Madagascar’s eastern coastline. This activation represents a historic milestone for anticipatory action in the country: • It is the first time WFP has intervened in advance of a forecasted cyclone • It marks the first instance in which any agency has successfully delivered cash assistance to at-risk populations prior to a cyclone’s landfall in Madagascar. The AA intervention was made possible through strong coordination between WFP and local administrative authorities, who facilitated the targeting and identification of beneficiary households, enabling the timely and efficient delivery of assistance. Additionally, the rapid mobilisation of WFP Madagascar ahead of cyclone Gezani was in large part thanks to USD 1.237 million in pre-arranged financing (USD 750,000 from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), and USD 487,000 from the German Federal Foreign Office). The implementation builds on multi-year investments by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation in anticipatory action systems. This wide-reaching coordination has enabled WFP to act swiftly and proactively to protect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable households ahead of cyclone Gezani, mitigating the anticipated humanitarian impact and reinforcing community resilience.