Emergency Assistance to Madagascar for Cyclone Disaster

February 27, 2004

On February 27 (Fri), the Government of Japan decided to extend emergency assistance in kind worth about 13 million yen (tents, plastic sheets, generators, water purifiers, and short-and-medium-wave radios) to the Government of the Republic of Madagascar, which sustained a cyclone disaster.
From January 27 (Tue) to February 4 (Wed), cyclone Elita passed through Madagascar three times, leaving great damage. On February 11 (Wed), the Government of Madagascar announced that there were 29 people dead, three missing, 100 injured, 12,308 houses damaged, and 44,190 people left homeless. It is feared that the reported damage will get worse as surveys go on.
At present, many Madagascans in vast areas are forced to lead an inconvenient life in shelters, and the Government of Madagascar has been making rehabilitation efforts of its own. The country is however in need of international assistance, and on February 13 (Fri), Foreign Minister Marcel Ranjeva requested general assistance from the diplomatic community in Madagascar. Furthermore, the National Rescue Council requested specific assistance from Japan on February 24 (Tue).
The Government of Japan has decided to extend this emergency assistance from the humanitarian point of view and in light of the friendly relations between Japan and Madagascar.

(END)