Madagascar: after the passage of cyclone Batsirai, desolation and resilience in Mananjary

A man walks in front of a destroyed house in the district of Tanambao, in Mananjary, after the passage of cyclone Batsirai, on February 8, 2022. AFP - RIJASOLO

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Six days after the passage of the intense tropical cyclone named Batsirai, which left 94 dead and nearly 120,000 homeless, some Malagasy cities still bear the scars of the violence of this extreme climatic episode.

In Mananjary, on the east coast of the island, the point of impact of Batsirai, 90% of the buildings were affected: an "apocalyptic landscape" in many neighborhoods, where however an astonishing atmosphere reigns.

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With our special correspondent in Mananjary,

Sarah Tétaud

What is striking in the first place is the absence of a roof on nearly nine out of ten houses.

Hard dwellings have had their prisons torn down.

As for the falafa houses, that is to say houses built from plant material, almost none have withstood the violence of the winds.

In the neighborhoods, planks, debris, the remains of gutted houses.

On either side of the streets, huge piles of debris are piling up. 

The beach has also become a dump where the inhabitants come to deposit all the materials rendered unusable.

Thursday, around 6 p.m., 5% of the city had found the light.

The coverage rate should improve in the coming days.

On the other hand, no district has yet found running water.

The politicians make their rounds, all smiles.

Humanitarian aid arrives in dribs and drabs. 

Yet another paradox, the atmosphere in the city is strangely peaceful.

Despite the immense losses caused by the cyclone in the majority of households, the inhabitants of Mananjary show a certain peace of mind and are extremely resilient.

Economic activities have resumed, out of necessity, of course.

In the markets, the women try to sell what little stock they have been able to save.

The men are working to fix up the houses.

The children are heckling.

Here, everyone lacks everything, but no one complains, or almost.

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  • Madagascar

  • Natural disasters