Madagascar declares Cyclone Gezani a national disaster

By James Kunda

LUSAKA, Zambia (AA) - Madagascar on Saturday declared Cyclone Gezani a national disaster after the storm killed 43 people and caused widespread destruction across the Indian Ocean island nation.

Prime Minister Rajaonarivelo Heritsalama said in the capital, Antananarivo, that the cyclone had affected the country’s economy and people’s lives. He said the government would focus on strengthening resilience to mitigate the impact of climate change in the future.

According to statistics released Saturday by Madagascar’s disaster agency, the cyclone claimed 43 lives across 25 districts in five regions. A total of 427 people were injured and six were reported missing.

The agency said 357,014 homes were destroyed, 16,428 people were displaced and 42,219 buildings were damaged.

France, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations have led humanitarian relief efforts, providing food and medical supplies.

Madagascar is one of Africa’s most storm-prone countries and is still grappling with the effects of Tropical Cyclone Fytia, which struck a fortnight ago, killing seven people and affecting more than 54,000 others.