Appeal

Madagascar

Cyclone relief - AFMG71

Appeal Target: US$ 599, 047

Geneva, 30 April 2007

Cyclone Indlala hit the north-eastern coast of the Indian Ocean island of Madagascar on 15 March 2007. With strong winds of up to 200 kilometres/hour (km/h), the cyclone ravaged the immediate area in its path (mainly Maroantsetra) and left considerable damage on the Northeast and Northwest regions. Cyclone Indlala was the fifth cyclone to have hit Madagascar within the past months: Cyclone Bondo made landfall on 25 December 2006; Cyclone Clovis on 3 January 2007; Cyclone Favio on 18 January 2007; and Cyclone Gamede on 26 February 2007. On 3 April 2007, a sixth cyclone (Cyclone Jaya), hit the country, causing further damage and displacement; its wind speed was 150 km/h at the highest peak while Indlala's was 235 km/h. Cyclone Jaya did not make significant impact compared to Indlala because vulnerable groups had lost all their belongings during successive cyclone passages and their related floods. This is the first time that Madagascar has been struck by so many cyclones in such a short period. Seasonal rains have been made worse by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moving slightly south, resulting in continuous rains - from the end of December 2006 to the present moment - and resultant flooding.ave been made worse by the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) moving slightly south, resulting in continuous rains - from the end of December 2006 to the present moment - and resultant flooding.

ACT member Church of Jesus Christ in Madagascar (FJKM) is appealing for support to enable them to provide immediate needs including targeted food distribution, non-food items (NFI), basic recovery items and the rehabilitation of schools damaged by the cyclones. There were fears that stagnant waters in the flood-affected areas could increase the potential for outbreaks of Dengue Fever. The effects of successive heavy rains and floods destroyed the little coping capacities of the communities. A severe food crisis is foreseen in the coming months as 70 to 80 percent of rice crops have been destroyed and access to vulnerable groups is very difficult.

Project Completion Date: 30 November 2007

Reporting Schedule

Reports due ACT CO:

Interim narrative & financial: 15 August 2007

Final narrative & financial: 31 January 2008

Audit: 29 February 2008

Please kindly send your contributions to either of the following ACT bank accounts:

US dollar

Account Number - 240-432629.60A

IBAN No: CH46 0024 0240 4326 2960A

Euro

Euro Bank Account Number - 240-432629.50Z

IBAN No: CH84 0024 0240 4326 2950Z

Account Name: ACT - Action by Churches Together

UBS AG

8, rue du Rhône

P.O. Box 2600

1211 Geneva 4, SWITZERLAND

Swift address: UBSW CHZH12A

Please also inform the Finance Officer Jessie Kgoroeadira (jkg@act-intl.org) and the Programme Officer Michael Hyden (mhy@act-intl.org), of all pledges/contributions and transfers, including funds sent direct to the implementers, now that the Pledge Form is no longer attached to the Appeal.

We would appreciate being informed of any intent to submit applications for EU, USAID and/or other back donor funding and the subsequent results. We thank you in advance for your kind co-operation.

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ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide. The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.