One week after it struck Eastern Madagascar, Cyclone Gezani is believed to have forced more than 16,000 men, women and children to leave their homes, and affected more than 270,000 people in total. Gezani made landfall in Madagascar’s largest port city, Toamasina, last Tuesday (10th February). It has killed at least 38 people, and injured 374, though both numbers could be considerably higher, as access to the city and its surroundings has been disrupted by the storm. Its winds reached 155 mp/h, and the cyclone has devastated Toamasina, a city of around 500,000 people. It damaged the city and its...

At least 38 people have been killed, and more than 12,000 forced to leave their homes, in one of Madagascar’s strongest cyclones of the last six decades. Cyclone Gezani made landfall in Madagascar on Tuesday (10th February 2026) and struck Toamasina, the largest Malagasy port city, with wind speeds of up to 155mph. Madagascar’s National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) said on Thursday (12th February 2026) that it had recorded 38 deaths. Six people remained missing and at least 374 were injured. As many as 250,000 people are believed to have been affected. More than 18,000 homes were...

We are supporting Malagasy organisations – and Malagasy people like Eric Randrianantoanina – to protect the environment upon which we all rely, and to improve their lives. Meet Eric… Madagascar has some of the world’s most spectacular wilderness. Almost 90 per cent of plant and animal species on the island are found only here, and it contains five per cent of all the world’s species of flora and fauna. But Malagasy people also face severe challenges. Ninety per cent of Madagascar’s people live on or below the global poverty baseline (£2.22 per day), making pressure to clear more land for agriculture...

Seven Malagasy people are confirmed to have died, and more than 54,000 injured or otherwise affected, as a result of tropical cyclone Fytia. The cyclone struck Madagascar – primarily the country’s North-West – on Saturday (31st January 2026) morning, leaving the island on Sunday. Its wind of up to 210km/h and rainfall destroyed more than 1,400 homes, and flooded more than 9,000 more in 27 regions including the national capital Antananarivo And more rain is scheduled for the coming days, raising fears of landslides and the collapse of dykes on the Sisaony river. Madagascar’s National Emergency Operational Coordination Centre (CNCOU)...

As the new year begins, we wanted to share with you the latest information about our major programmes, to show you how your support and help is making an impact and improving Malagasy lives and the Malagasy biosphere. Renewable World’s three main programmes are Renewable Forests and Livelihoods, Children for the Future and Education for Life (we are also part of the Solar United Madagascar consortium, working to ensure Malagasy communities have access to power, all of which is generated from renewable resources and technology). All three work to directly address issues facing and threatening Madagascar’s environment, flora and fauna,...

Madagascar may become a partner country of the BRICS group, following discussions with member state South Africa. The Malagasy interim president Michael Randrianirina has told Russian media that the new status may be confirmed as early as the 18th BRICS summit, which will be held in India, most likely in June 2026. Randrianirina said the matter was discussed during his visit to South Africa, where he met the latter state’s president Cyril Ramaphosa, late ast week. He said: ‘Cyril Ramaphosa agreed to our request to help Madagascar become a BRICS partner state. I expect to attend the summit in India,...

Madagascar’s head of state Michael Randrianirina has arrived in South Africa for conversations with the latter state’s president Cyril Ramaphosa. The two are expected to discuss Malagasy-South African relations, as well as the situation in Madagascar and perhaps the steps the island-republic is taking towards its first national elections since the removal from power of previous president Andriy Rajoelina in October 2025. As we noted, Rajoelina fled Madagascar after close to three weeks of civil unrest, which began with protests against electricity and water supply cuts across the country, and developed into widespread unrest and resistance to state efforts to...

The Malagasy government has begun a six-month ‘National Consultation’ which it says is designed to ‘drive constitutional reform’ and form the basis of the Malagasy ‘Fifth Republic’. The initiative will start at the fokotany level, progressing through communes, districts and regions of Madagascar. It is hoped the entire population will be able to express aspirations and opinions regarding the country’s governance, laws and constitution. Malagasy president Michael Randrianirina, who led the Malagasy military’s CAPSAT unit before taking power in October this year, said the Consultation would ‘set the groundwork for a renew system of governance’ for Madagascar. Randrianirina took power...

One impact of Malagasy youngsters no longer being able to live with their families, alongside poverty, living on the streets and exposure to significant risk, can be the disruption and potential end of their education. Rano Soloniaina, a resident at the AAB centre, explains how he and the Money for Madagascar partner organisation have worked to make sure he could return to school, and thrive. The AAB centre, on the outskirts of the Malagasy capital Antananarivo, is an important partner of Money for Madagascar, which provides shelter, clothing, food, water, healthcare, access to education and care and attention to boys...

Heavy rains in and around Madagascar’s capital city Antananarivo have caused extensive damage to a children’s centre with which we work. On Tuesday (11 November 2025) evening at about 7.15pm Malagasy-time, a storm including heavy rain, strong winds and hail, struck the Akany Avoko Ambohidatrimo (AAA) centre, home to 105 children; girls aged 0-18 and boys aged 0-8 years old. The 150-capacity centre provides shelter, food, water, healthcare, clothing, access to education, care and attention to young people who are unable to live with their families. We work alongside them to help ensure Malagasy children are not forced into, or...

World leaders have gathered in Belem, Brasil under the ongoing shadow of the climate catastrophe, for the 30th UN Climate Change Conference (COP30). The summit has begun with the world in an unprecedented level of risk from – and in the case of Madagascar experience of the impacts of – climate change, but serious questions must be asked about who is taking part, who is not in the room, and whether we can expect any of the urgent collaboration we need to address the crisis even to be agreed, let alone acted on. The deepening crisis Delegates from more than...

Malagasy president and colonel of the CAPSAT Malagasy army unit Michael Randrianirina has kept the first of his promises to Madagascar, by appointing a civilian prime minister. Herintsalama Rajaonarivelo, an economist who worked at the World Bank, and has been chairman and ceo of the Malagasy National Industrial Bank since November 2020, was appointed to the role yesterday (Monday 20 October 2025). He had been a technical advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for 14 months, from February 2019 to April 2020. His first major role will be to create a ‘civilian government’ to serve under Randrianirina and his...