UN reports financial shortage for Madagascar aids

The United Nations agencies face a financing gap of 124 million U.S. dollars in its aids provision in Madagascar, a joint statement from the UN agencies said Friday.

From October 2016 to April 2017, the World Food Programme (WFP) faces a shortage of 69 million dollars out of a total need of 82 million dollars for its operations in Madagascar.

WFP needs the money to provide food assistance to 1 million people by the end of next month, to provide food to more than 200,000 pregnant women, nursing mothers and children under five years, and to assist some 230,000 children through the school feeding program in southern Madagascar.

The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) also requires an additional 36.5 million dollars to increase its efforts in southern Madagasca.

UNICEF said the funds will allow it to increase water supply and sanitation to 850,000 people and health interventions for the 350,000 people living far from a health center. The money will help treat 10,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition, transfer cash to 4,000 families and provide education to 200,000 children.

Out of 22 million dollars needed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), only 3.5 million is available at its pocket and the organization is still looking for the the rest.

With the funds, FAO plans to give immediate response to 850,000 farmers in the most affected districts, providing them with seeds, tools and supporting their livestock production.

Some 92 percent of the population in Madagascar lives on less than 2 dollars per day. The El-Nino phenomenon has worsened the situation by plunging the deep south of the country into an alarming food insecurity. Endit