Access to drinking water after cyclone Gezani

The devastating passage of Cyclone Gezani over Madagascar left behind an alarming human toll: nearly 500,000 people affected, including 382,000 in need of emergency humanitarian aid. In the Atsinanana region, vital infrastructure has been swept away, particularly in the districts of Toamasina I and II, including the municipality of Fanandrana. These localities are facing a major health crisis, with access to drinking water and basic sanitation services now severely compromised.

A growing health risk

In the district of Toamasina II, many families are facing a critical situation: access to drinking water has become extremely difficult, sometimes impossible. In addition to the destruction of water systems, several water sources have been contaminated, particularly by pollution linked to industrial damage or debris carried by the floods. As a result, the inhabitants of Atsinanana are unable to access clean water sources.

On the ground, Action Against Hunger teams are mobilizing to help the affected populations. In Ampasimbola, a village in the municipality of Fanandrana that was severely affected by the disaster, Charles, a 48-year-old father, testifies to the scale of the disaster:

“Our village has at least 200 households. However, today there are only two working hand pumps left, located outside the village,” he notes with regret. “Before the cyclone, we had several water points, but the wind and the accumulation of debris washed them away.”

This material damage is forcing people to adopt dangerous practices. The direct use of river water or wells contaminated by debris carried by strong winds is increasing the risk of waterborne diseases to an alarming degree.

Providing drinking water in the disaster area

To respond to the emergency, experts from Action Against Hunger, with financial support from the European Union, have installed a water purification station in the fokontany of Tananambo (commune of Fanandrana). This vital facility transforms water from local sources into drinking water, thus protecting the health of families in the district of Toamasina II who have been severely affected by the cyclone. It provides a rapid supply of drinking water to villages and the surrounding areas that have been severely affected. The station has a treatment capacity of 20 m³ of water per day, guaranteeing access to safe water for families living nearby. Each household receives up to 40 liters of treated water per day, distributed four times a week.

Just two weeks after Cyclone Gezani struck, three strategic sites are already operational. This emergency system guarantees safe access to drinking water for nearly 3,000 households, with each station designed to supply at least 1,000 homes in the long term.

The impact on health is immediate, as Soazely, a resident of the fokontany of Tananambo, explains:

“Access to this drinking water is a huge relief. In these precarious conditions, it protects us from serious waterborne diseases, such as diarrhea, which threaten our families.”

A water-trucking system has been deployed to reach the more isolated communities. This mobile distribution system makes it possible to deliver drinking water to the hardest-hit villages, where local infrastructure is completely out of service.

Beyond the emergency response, Action Against Hunger is committed to the sustainable rehabilitation of water points and the disinfection of contaminated wells. This support also accompanies the recovery of households: thanks to financial aid and basic necessity kits, families can begin to rebuild their homes and regain a sense of normalcy