USAID Addresses the Needs of the South-East and Anosy Regions

Antananarivo - A request for assistance was sent to the US Agency for International Cooperation (USAID/Madagascar) on November 17, 2005 to address nutritional emergency in 12 Communes of Vangaindrano affected by flood. An assessment conducted in December 2005 confirmed a situation of concentrated nutritional crisis of alarming severity that warranted the ongoing nutritional intervention.

USAID responded by distributing 238 MTs of food supplies in the amount of $132,000 to the targeted communes. In addition, since January 10, 2006, the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA) has financed an activity called “Provision of Improved Seeds” for an amount of $ 252,901 over a period of 4 months. This activity includes distribution of improved short season rice and vegetables seeds, other agricultural inputs, and increased provision of food supplies through Food for Work schemes focusing on rehabilitation of agricultural infrastructure for the next farming season. USAID has committed to ensure the short term availability of food supplies to16, 080 families in 14 vulnerable communes of the southeastern (Vangaindrano) and Anosy (Manantenina) regions.

In addition to addressing emergency needs, the USG through their implementing partners (ADRA, CARE, and CRS) implements a program for the vulnerable people in Madagascar under the PL 480 Title II program to improve their food security and agricultural production, and increase households' incomes. This program that also comprises an awareness raising component in the fields of sanitation, health, feeding and nutrition targets 450,000 beneficiaries until 2008 for an annual budget of about $ 15,000,000.