Madagascar

Since the start of the agricultural season in October 2024, Madagascar has experienced multiple shocks, including a prolonged drought from October to December, followed by successive weather systems such as cyclones and tropical storms from January to March, affecting mainly the southern regions. Food insecurity has been largely driven by the extended dry spell, particularly in the South and South-East. The situation is expected to worsen due to anticipated crop losses, locust outbreaks that began in April 2025 following the floods, and the suspension of several nutrition programmes due to funding shortages. Additionally, consecutive flooding during the cyclone season further worsened conditions by limiting access to clean water and sanitation, contributing to a rise in waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea. The floods also disrupted food and nutrition supply chains to remote communities. 

In addition, the nutrition survey carried out during the May–June 2025 harvest season shows a troubling decline in the nutritional situation across the Grand Sud region. Of the 11 districts assessed, Tsihombe and Amboasary are facing severe acute malnutrition rates above 2 per cent and Global Acute Malnutrition (GAM) rates above 10 per cent), with the other nine districts in alert (GAM 5–10 per cent). Since the previous assessment in late 2024, malnutrition levels have noticeably worsened in several areas, with Tsihombe experiencing the most dramatic decline, where rates of acute and severe malnutrition have significantly increased.

The preliminary results of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) indicate that seven out of 11 districts in the Grand Sud are in the early stages of crisis-level food insecurity (Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) 3) during the post-harvest period (May–September 2025). A significant number of people are facing emergency conditions, and the situation is expected to worsen considerably during the projected hunger-gap period from February to April 2026, when even more people are likely to be food insecure. 

In the Grand Sud-Est, the situation remains relatively stable, with 14 out of 15 districts anticipated to stay in stress (IPC 2) until January 2026, except Nosy Varika. However, some districts in both the Grand Sud and Ikongo District in the Grand Sud-Est were already experiencing acute malnutrition ahead of the May/June harvest, and further deterioration is anticipated in the coming months. This is attributed to the prolonged rain shortfall between October and December 2024, followed by successive floods from January to March 2025 and locust infestation between April and May 2025. 

Compounding this crisis are funding cuts, which have led to the closure of approximately 15 non-governmental organizations field offices and the loss of several hundred humanitarian workers. These reductions are expected to severely limit operational capacity, especially in the field. As a result, the Food Security Cluster estimates that around 500,000 people may no longer receive life-saving assistance due to these funding constraints, further deepening an already critical humanitarian situation.

Humanitarian response is focusing on scaling up the management of acute malnutrition cases through mobile clinics and additional staffing in health centres. Support includes the delivery of therapeutic nutrition supplies, distribution of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits for malnourished children and affected health facilities, and provision of preventive food rations for children and pregnant women. 

The response to the locust infestation is ongoing through collaboration between the Ministry of Agriculture and its partners, with approximately 240,600 hectares treated since January 2025. However, aerial operations have been suspended since April due to funding shortfalls, increasing the risk of locust spread during the rainy season (November to April). Of the $21.2 million needed for the four-year locust control campaign (starting October 2024), the first year is 92 per cent funded, while the remaining three years require an additional $14 million.