Madagascar: Humanitarian Response Dashboard (January - December 2023)

SITUATION UPDATE

The food security situation in the Grand Sud-Est (South-east) has stabilized relative to the first semester in 2023, except for some districts where the nutrition situation remains very critical. Out of 11 analyzed districts, Nosy Varika and Ikongo, which are the most isolated, faced phase 3 (crisis level of food insecurity) and nine others were in phase 2 (stressed) between October 2023 and January 2024, according to the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) in December 2023. However, during the hunger-gap period, from February to April 2024, 7 out of 11 districts, are projected to be in phase 3, and Ikongo and Nosy Varika in phase 4 of acute malnutrition (critical). In 2024, about 197,000 children under 5 are expected to be acutely malnourished, including about 58,000 experiencing severe acute malnutrition. In addition, some pockets of acute malnutrition persist in certain communes (30 out of 130) according to the findings of the mass nutrition screening conducted in the fourth quarter of 2023 in Vatovavy and Fitovinany regions.

The humanitarian situation in the Grand Sud has relatively improved due to a significant scale-up in assistance and the positive impact of the rainy season (February and March 2023), However, the situation became fragile after the crop period in May 2023 as harvest did not cover the needs. The first impacts of El Niño, primarily characterized by rainfall deficits, began in November and December 2023 but were alleviated by the rains brought by Cyclone Alvaro and the cloud masses of January 2024. A general deterioration of the food security situation is expected to start from February to April 2024, mainly due to the expected rainfall deficit as an impact of El Niño, where seven districts will be in phase 3. More than 262,000 children under 5 are in acute malnutrition.

Ampanihy District has been experiencing a ‘crisis’ phase of malnutrition since October.

More than 2 million people received assistance by the end of December, including 763,700 million in the Grand Sud-Est and 1.2 million in the Grand Sud.

This is thanks to the funding received through the humanitarian Flash Appeal which targets 2.2 million people from August 2023 to May 2024. Nearly 2 million people received food and livelihood support and more than 107,800 people accessed safe water, while over 41,950 received hygiene kits. About 463.530 children under age five and pregnant and lactating women received nutritional support and/or treatment. More than 16,650 children were vaccinated against preventable diseases. Over 217,800 people were reached with awareness-raising campaigns to prevent gender-based violence and increase knowledge of reproductive health issues, while more than 9,870 pregnant women received antenatal care.

The Flash Appeal, requesting US$214.7 million, was 53 per cent funded by the end of December 2023. It was revised in September to consider the potential impact of El Niño by including anticipatory actions. The revised Appeal covers until May 2024 and requires an additional $162.2 million, of which about $39 million is for anticipatory actions. Additional funding is urgently required to sustain the scale-up of response for the Grand Sud-Est and put in place anticipatory actions in the Grand Sud.