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Situation Overview
Tropical Cyclone FYTIA made landfall in Soalala District (Boeny Region) in western Madagscar at around 04:00 on 31 January 2026. The cyclone brought strong winds reaching up to 150 km/h, with gusts up to 210 km/h near its centre and moved east–south-east at about 18 km/h. Moderate to heavy rainfall affected the regions of Boeny, northern Melaky, and western Betsiboka, with 50–150 mm of rain falling within 24 hours. This caused widespread flooding, flash floods and landslides, damaging homes, roads, and other infrastructure.
As of 5 February 2026, preliminary reports indicate that 78,376 people have been directly affected, including 31,480 displaced. Housing impacts reported to date include 13,805 flooded homes, 2,212 damaged homes, and 1,952 homes completely destroyed. Because the cyclone first hit Soalala District, impacts in Boeny region have been especially severe, with 56,627 people affected and 22,174 displaced. Reported housing damage in Boeny includes 8,820 flooded homes, 1,715 damaged homes, and 1,645 destroyed. Road access to Soalala remains blocked, making it difficult to reach affected communities.
The education sector in Boeny has been heavily impacted. A total of 357 classrooms have been damaged, including 177 destroyed, forcing many schools to close and disrupting learning for 24,961 students, including 6,945 girls, across the districts of Mahajanga I, Mahajanga II, Mitsinjo, Marovoay, and Ambato-Boeny. Classes remain suspended in several areas, and 15 schools are currently being used as temporary shelters for displaced families.