Madagascar recovers from two storms

In Madagascar’s Mananjary town, Sezie Kajy stood in the ruins of her home, picking up wet clothes. Late on Saturday, Cyclone Batsirai made landfall on the island nation’s eastern coast near Mananjary, bringing strong winds that swept away houses, uprooted palm trees, and cut off power lines.

“My house started to crack and we had to leave, all of a sudden it collapsed,” Kajy told Reuters. “Water from the river and water from the sea rose, all the houses collapsed, we were really scared.”

Authorities said the storm killed at least 92 people and displaced more than 112,000 others. It came two weeks after Tropical Storm Ana hit the island, killing at least 55 people and displacing 130,000. The dual disasters have created growing humanitarian needs and the threat of a larger crisis.

Kajy said the school serving as an evacuation center had its roof blown off, exposing her and other local residents to the elements. Environment Minister Vahinala Raharinirina told the BBC that many villages were almost completely gone.

The cyclone destroyed at least 19 roads and 17 bridges, leaving emergency rescuers struggling to get to some of the most-affected areas. The storm blocked access to Manakara, about 60 miles south of Mananjary. “Everything was shaking,” said Martina Azzalea, head of Manakara’s World Food Program office. “It felt like claws were pulling the roof.”

The disaster derailed relief efforts after Ana, which extended to Mozambique and Malawi. The World Food Program and other aid agencies have started to distribute hot meals and assess the growing needs. 

The heavy rainfall flooded farms that had been growing rice, vegetables, and fruits near harvest. The United Nations said the losses will likely worsen a food shortage in an area already struggling with severe drought. The UN warned in November that 1.3 million people in Madagascar were facing severe hunger. “The impact of the cyclone does not end today. It will last for several months, particularly the impact on agriculture,” said Jean Benoit Manhes, a representative of UNICEF.

World radar

• ISRAEL: Former Israeli and Palestinian peace negotiators released a new proposal this week for a two-state confederation in a bid to end the decadelong stalemate in peace talks. The plan calls for separate governments that would coordinate on infrastructure, security, and other issues. The West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem would form an independent state of Palestine. The effort is patterned after the Geneva Accord, the comprehensive peace plan drawn up by both sides and signed in 2003. It’s unclear if the initiative will gain traction with political leaders on either side.
• SYRIA: Children are living in dire conditions after being detained in a northeast Syrian prison that was recently at the center of a terrorist attack, according to the United Nations. UNICEF members who visited the prison in the city of Al Hasakah said some boys became mixed with adults when Islamic State militants stormed the prison on Jan. 20. Human Rights Watch said hundreds of boys are still missing after the fighting in and around the prison. President Joe Biden blamed the Islamic State’s top leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, who was killed in a U.S. raid, for the prison assault.
• MOROCCO: Hundreds of people gathered Monday in northern Morocco to bury the 5-year-old boy who died after being trapped down a well shaft for four days. Rayan Awram’s death drew widespread attention, including a call from the Moroccan King Mohammed VI to the boy’s parents. “Rayan is carved forever on our hearts,” said resident Mounir Mourid.
• HAITI: Schools and businesses remained closed Monday amid increased police patrol in Port-au-Prince as the restive island marked seven months since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse. Haiti is battling gang violence, kidnappings, and a crumbling economy. Prime Minister Ariel Henry promised to hold general elections by the end of the year. In an investigation this week, Buzzfeed News reported that the nation’s instability has allowed many orphanage operators to exploit children in the system.
• NIGERIA: A Catholic priest abducted from the parish house in southern Kaduna state has regained his freedom. Gunmen kidnapped the Rev. Joseph Danjuma Shekari and killed the cook when they invaded St. Monica’s Catholic Church at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. They stole money from a thanksgiving service and other valuables. The gunmen released Shekari the following evening, although church officials did not say if they paid a ransom. The Rev. John Joseph Hayab, who leads the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria, said abductors have kidnapped more than 18 pastors, priests, and other Christian leaders for ransom over the past two years in Kaduna.
• HONDURAS: The Biden administration on Monday said it has blacklisted former Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernández. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the State Department has included Hernández on the Corrupt and Undemocratic Actors list since July 1 over evidence he engaged in corruption, narcotrafficking, and use of illicit profits to fund political campaigns. Hernández left office in January after his eight-year term ended. Individuals on the list are ineligible for entry into the United States. The list includes other politicians from Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala.

Africa brief

I’m back this week with a final update on the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON). Senegal clinched a welcome victory that drew celebrations on social media, even here in Nigeria. The country defeated Egypt 4-2 in a penalty shootout, landing the team its first-ever AFCON championship. In Senegal’s capital of Dakar, soccer fans rushed to welcome the victorious team from the airport. President Macky Sall declared Monday a public holiday over the win. The competition enthralled and united countries across the continent, offering a brief reprieve from other challenges.