Madagascar, a country located in the Indian Ocean, has been hit hard by a series of disasters that have worsened its food security situation. In 2021, Madagascar experienced its worst drought in 40 years, which, coupled with low agricultural productivity, the impact of COVID-19, a lack of essential food staples in the market, and cyclones both in 2022 and 2023, has led to an acute food insecurity crisis affecting 2.2 million people. The country has one of the highest malnutrition rates in the world, with more than half of all children suffering from chronic malnutrition.

In response to the situation, the European Union (EU) has continued its humanitarian assistance to Madagascar, focusing on food and nutrition in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est, disaster preparedness, and education in emergencies. In 2023, the EU allocated €14.6 million for humanitarian aid in Madagascar, with a focus on assisting the most affected people in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est.

The EU's support aims to provide access to food, education in emergencies, and nutrition services while responding to the specific needs of the most vulnerable people. The EU is also working on preparedness for natural hazards, including tropical cyclones/storms and drought. The EU is monitoring the humanitarian situation in the Grand Sud and Grand Sud-Est daily, and both the EU's humanitarian and development aid departments are combining and coordinating their efforts to build the long-term resilience of the communities in both regions.

Access to water is a structural problem in Madagascar and is insufficient during this period of drought. Protection is a key sector that remains largely unaddressed. The level of prevention and response is currently very low, and child abuse and gender-based violence are increasing, and school dropout rates are rising.

According to the World Bank, COVID-19 has pushed 1.4 million people into extreme poverty in Madagascar due to job losses in key manufacturing and service sectors and the sudden loss of income for informal workers affected by lockdowns in major cities. The COVID-19 pandemic has considerably exacerbated the worrying food security situation.

In 2022, the EU allocated €4.25 million to address food insecurity and increasing costs of logistics, aiming to mitigate the negative impact of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine on the price and availability of food, fuel, fertilizers, and other commodities in Madagascar.

Last year, the EU provided an integrated response to tropical cyclone Batsirai, which struck Madagascar in February 2022. The operation involved a massive EU civil protection deployment and the delivery of humanitarian aid. This was possible thanks to a series of EU Humanitarian Air Bridge flights that brought humanitarian partners, emergency teams from EU Member States, and European Commission experts to Madagascar. This operation was complemented by the EU Humanitarian Aid flights, used to transport humanitarian actors and cargo.

Since 2021, the European Commission has provided €100 million in humanitarian assistance to support the rollout of vaccination campaigns in African countries with critical humanitarian needs and fragile health systems. At least €8.9 million of this funding supports vaccination campaigns for the most vulnerable in the Southern Africa and Indian Ocean region. Madagascar received €1 million of this package.

In conclusion, Madagascar's food security situation is deteriorating due to a combination of factors. The EU's ongoing humanitarian assistance to Madagascar focuses on addressing the urgent needs of the affected population, building the resilience of the communities, and preparing for natural disasters. However, the level of prevention and response remains low, and the situation requires sustained attention and continued support.