Here’s How to Help Victims of Madagascar’s Deadly Cyclone

Still recovering from the loss of lives and ruin of property from last year’s 34-day Cyclone Freddy, Madagascar has been hit by another disaster, which has led to the death of at least eleven people.

According to reports, Cyclone Gamane hit the Vohemar district, in the northern area of the island country in the early hours of Wednesday. The cyclone was projected to simply skim the island but it made an unexpected course which resulted in the collapse of houses and bridges, as well as deadly mudslides and flooding. Six people are reported to have drowned, while five others were killed by cratering buildings and fallen trees.

“It's rare to have a cyclone like this. Its movement is nearly stationary,” Elack Andriakaja, director general of the National Office of Risk and Disaster Management (BNRGC), said. “When the system stops in one place, it devastates all the infrastructure. And that has serious consequences for the population. And significant flooding.”

About 7,000 people are estimated to be affected by the cyclone, which has now been reclassified as a tropical storm. Cyclone Gamane moved through the affected region at an average wind speed of 150 km/h (93 mph) and heavy rainfall, while wind speeds of 210 km/h (130 mph) were measured in some places.

The full extent of the damage caused by the cyclone is still yet to be determined, as some of the villages are in the more remote areas of the country. However, it is clear this is another climate-induced humanitarian crisis, one that’s all too familiar in Madagascar. According to a report from earlier this year, the island has been hit by 47 cyclones and tropical storms between 2000 and 2023. Cyclone Gamane has increased that tally.

While humanitarian efforts ramp up, we’ve compiled a few ways to help victims and survivors of this cyclone through relief organizations. Find them below.

You can donate to SEED Madagascar, through Global Giving, as it focuses on helping the most vulnerable in Madagascar to combat food insecurity.

You can donate to UNICEF Madagascar, as it assists with malnutrition in the country’s rural parts and also joins in the fight for climate rights. “The climate crisis is a child rights crisis,” a statement on the landing page of its website reads.

You can donate to the World Food Programme’s mission in Madagascar, as it aims to help the over 1.64 million people in Madagascar who are food insecure and need humanitarian assistance.

You can donate to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Madagascar, with its focus on helping resettle refugees after disasters like this cyclone.