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SITUATION OVERVIEW
Situation Update
Madagascar is being hit by back‑to‑back cyclones, cutting off communities from food, basic health services, and other essentials. Two destructive storms have struck the country within just ten days, compounding the crisis.
The humanitarian situation is severe and rapidly evolving, with impacts already exceeding national coping capacities. Additional events may occur before the cyclone season ends in April or May, as seasonal forecasts predict 10 to 14 weather systems in the southwestern Indian Ocean (compared with a normal average of 10), of which five to eight are expected to intensify into tropical cyclones (normal average of five).
Cyclone Fytia formed on 28 January 2026, made landfall on 31 January, and crossed the country through 1 February, causing severe flooding and widespread displacement before weakening and moving back out to sea on 2 February. Ten days later, Cyclone Gezani made landfall on 11 February near Toamasina as a Category 4 cyclone, with winds of up to 250 km/h, devastating about 75 per cent of the city and prompting a national disaster declaration as it moved inland on 12 February.
Tropical Cyclone Fytia
Tropical Cyclone Fytia made landfall on 31 January as a Category 3 cyclone, triggering widespread flooding across northwestern Madagascar. As of 8 February, 14 deaths had been reported, more than 31,000 people displaced, and over 200,000 people affected across 35 districts. The majority of those affected are in the Boeny Region. Overall, the cyclone impacted 35 districts across nine regions: Boeny, Analamanga, Melaky, Sofia, Vakinankaratra, Betsiboka, Atsinanana, Alaotra Mangoro, and Itasy.
More than 19,000 houses were flooded, damaged, or destroyed, while 493 classrooms and 20 health facilities sustained damage. Extensive losses to rice fields, up to 70 per cent in the hardest-hit districts, and livestock have severely undermined livelihoods and food security. Public health risks are rising as water points have been flooded and health and nutrition services disrupted, compounded by medical supply stockouts and heightened risks of disease outbreaks, including Mpox. River transport and school classes remain suspended in the most affected areas. Access constraints, especially in remote areas reachable only by air, have hampered emergency response efforts.
Tropical Cyclone Gezani
Tropical Cyclone Gezani crossed Madagascar and entered the Mozambique Channel near Antsalova around 17:00 local time on 11 February before weakening into a tropical storm. Along its path, it brought heavy rainfall nationwide, prompting the Government of Madagascar to issue an appeal for international assistance. On 12 February, further rainfall and strong winds were expected in centralwestern Madagascar. A red alert for strong winds and flooding was issued. The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System (GDACS) estimates that 1.3 million people were exposed to Category 1 (119 to 153 km/hr) or higher wind speeds. Maximum sustained winds reached 211 km/h (Category 4). The GDAC score is 2.5 (red).
As of 16:00 on Thursday 12 February, the Malagasy National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) reported 38 deaths, six missing persons, 374 injured, and 269,407 people affected, including 16,318 displaced. Damage assessments indicate that 13,203 homes were flooded, 37,430 damaged, and 18,797 destroyed. Significant losses to education infrastructure were also reported, with 561 classrooms unroofed and an additional 175 classrooms damaged or destroyed.
Approximately 75 per cent of Toamasina and the surrounding areas have sustained severe damage, with widespread destruction reported. Aerial assessments are scheduled for 12 February, followed by further rapid evaluations supported by MRCS volunteers.
Gezani is now moving toward Mozambique and may approach the coast later this week, bringing heavy rainfall, while forecasts also indicate a possible, though uncertain shift back toward southern Madagascar. Coastal and low-lying areas remain at highest risk, with secondary impacts anticipated in parts of central and southern Mozambique by 13 February.
Priority needs focus on life‑saving assistance, including emergency shelter, essential household items, clean water, sanitation and hygiene support, and food assistance, reflecting the high risk to coastal and low‑lying communities as Gezani brought strong winds, storm surge, and heavy rainfall. Health services require reinforcement, while vulnerable groups need targeted protection. With forecasts showing possible further coastal impacts with an uncertain potential shift toward southern Madagascar, pre‑positioning of supplies, evacuation readiness, and rapid response capacity remain critical. Early recovery priorities include restoring essential services and supporting livelihoods already weakened by recent cyclones.
On 11 February 2026, the government declared a state of national disaster following the devastating impact of Cyclone Gezani, which struck multiple regions already weakened by Cyclone Fytia and prolonged heavy rainfall. The storms have caused significant loss of life, extensive damage to infrastructure and housing, major flooding, and widespread economic disruption.
During a Council of Ministers meeting, the President issued an urgent appeal for international solidarity to support emergency assistance for affected communities, noting that up to 75 per cent of Toamasina and the surrounding areas were devastated.
This may not be the last cyclone of the season, as forecasts predict additional systems that could reach Madagascar through April 2026. This underscores the need for heightened preparedness and sustained support to help communities mitigate the potential impacts of future disasters.
Since the beginning of 2026, the country has faced multiple emergencies, further compounded by the impacts of the two cyclones: i) Mpox outbreak: Madagascar’s Mpox outbreak, officially declared by the Ministry of Public Health on 30 December 2025, has since spread to 21 regions nationwide; ii) Food insecurity: On 30 January 2026, the government requested international assistance to respond to several concurrent humanitarian crises, reporting that 1,077,140 people are in urgent need of nutritional support.