What:  The African Union Humanitarian Assessment mission to the Republic of Madagascar. The assessment mission team will travel to designated cyclone-affected region; briefing by regional/local authorities; visits to displacement sites and affected communities

When: From 16-21 March 2026

Who:  The African Union Humanitarian Assessment mission to the Republic of Madagascar is organized by the the African Union Commission’s Humanitarian Affairs Division, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and the Government of Madagascar, represented through the Embassy in Ethiopia, and Bureau National de Gestion des Risques et des Catastrophes (BGNRC) based in the capital, Antananarivo.

Objectives:

The African Union Commission (AUC) delegation will undertake a humanitarian assessment mission to the Republic of Madagascar in response to the impact of Cyclone Gezani. The mission seeks to gain a comprehensive understanding of the humanitarian situation on the ground, provide immediate solidarity support to affected population, and reaffirm the African Union’s commitment to standing with the Government and People of Madagascar during this challenging period.

The specific objectives of the mission are to:

1. Conduct field visits to cyclone-affected areas, as recommended by national authorities, to assess the scale and scope of humanitarian impact, identify priority needs, and provide immediate food and non-food items.
2. Engage with relevant Government institutions and the national disaster response coordination mechanisms to better understand response efforts, ensure alignment with national recovery priorities, and offer technical support where appropriate within the framework of AU humanitarian instruments.
3. Hold consultations with humanitarian and development partners, UN agencies, regional actors, and civil society organizations to assess response progress, identify operational challenges and resource gaps, and strengthen coordinated action.
4. Explore medium- to long-term recovery and reconstruction needs, including opportunities to support disaster risk reduction, climate resilience, and strengthened preparedness measures in line with continental frameworks.

Background:

In February 2026, Cyclone Gezani made landfall near Toamasina on Madagascar’s east coast with extremely powerful winds (over 250 km/h), torrential rains and widespread flooding, compounding the impacts of a preceding cyclone. The storm has been one of the deadliest of the season, with at least 59 people killed, over 800 injured and around 15 people reported missing in Madagascar alone. An estimated over 420 000 people have been affected, including more than 16 000 displaced, and tens of thousands of homes and critical infrastructure, schools, health facilities, water and power systems, damaged or destroyed. The disaster has severely disrupted essential services and heightened humanitarian needs across multiple regions of the country, prompting a national emergency

Members of the media based in Madagascar are invited to cover the African Union Humanitarian Assessment mission to the Republic of Madagascar.

For more information about the mission, please contact:

1. Ms. Rita Amukhobu | Head Humanitarian Affairs Division, Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development| Email: AmukhobuR@africanunion.org
2. Mildred Linet Nafula Ouma | Department of Health, Humanitarian Affairs and Social Development | Email: mildredl@AfricanUnion.org

For media inquiries, please contact: 
Mr. Gamal Eldin Ahmed A. Karrar | Senior Communication Officer | Information and Communication Directorate (ICD), African Union Commission | E-mail: GamalK@africanunion.org