The UN World Food Programme has just started to distribute emergency food aid to urban centres in Madagascar, to help feed some 35,000 malnourished children affected by the current politico-economic crisis.
Over  the  coming  months,  WFP will provide 350 tonnes of Corn Soya Blend  -  a  highly  nutritious mixture to make porridge, enough to feed 18,000 children in the capital, Antananarivo, as well as 17,000 children  in  five  other  major  cities  across  the country. WFP’s partners  include  the  World  Bank,  CARE,  SEECALINE, and Catholic Relief Services (CRS).
In  some  areas,  malnutrition levels among children under five have risen  up  to  45 percent as a result of the crisis that has gripped the  country  following  the  presidential  elections  held  in  mid December 2001.
”There  is  a  serious  food  crisis,  particularly  among the urban population,” said WFP’s Country Director for Madagascar, Bodo Henze. “Emergency  food  relief  is  absolutely crucial at this stage if we want  to  prevent  a  tragedy.  Even  if political reconciliation is achieved  in  the  short run, the effects of the crisis will be felt for months to come.”
A  blockade  of  the  capital  city, Antananarivo, together with the destruction  of  supply  routes and key infrastructure, has crippled the  nation,  destroying the country’s already fragile economy. Food supplies  are  scarce  and prices of essential commodities have shot up.
The  cost  of  rice — the staple food of the Malagasy people – has increased  by  375  percent,  pushing  it  beyond  the reach of many families.  Further  aggravating  the  precarious  situation  is  the critical lack of fuel in the country, preventing the commercial flow of  food  items  between  provinces,  and  making  it impossible for farmers to transport their products to existing markets.
To  compound  the  problem,  Cyclone  Kesiny  passed  over  northern Madagascar  in  mid-April,  causing extensive damage and flooding to the  island’s  main  commercial  port, Tamatave, as well as to other infrastructure in thearea.
This  natural  disaster,  along  with  the  effects of the political crisis,  have  taken  their  toll on the already vulnerable and food insecure  segments  of the population.  Many businesses in the urban centres have closed and laid off a substantial number of workers.
WFP, in partnership with the non-governmental organization CARE, has launched a programme whereby food aid is provided in return for work to  assist  victims  of  the  cyclone. Through these “food-for-work” projects, cyclone-damaged infrastructure will be rehabilitated, such as  the main national road and the railway track both critical for the transport of food and other commodities.
”Initially,  15,000  people  will  receive  food  aid  through these projects,”  said  Henze.  “But  as we closely monitor the situation, it’s  possible  we will have to increase significantly the number of families being helped.”
As  the  repercussions  of the crisis continue to take their toll on the  population,  WFP will provide an emergency response to the most vulnerable  in  Madagascar’s  capital  and  the country’s five urban centers, as well as to those affected by the cyclone.
Both  urban  and  food-for-work  projects  represent an extension of WFP’s  regular  activities  in  Madagascar. WFP, in partnership with SEECALINE,  is  also  feeding  162,000 children in rural areas where malnutrition reaches levels above 43 percent.
Last year, the agency provided food aid assistance to 500,000 people in Madagascar.
WFP  is  the  United Nations’ front-line agency in the fight against global  hunger.  In  2001, WFP fed more than 77 million people in 82 countries  including  most  of  the  world’s refugees and internally displaced people.
WFP Global School Feeding Campaign - As the largest provider of nutritious meals to poor school children, WFP has launched a global campaign aimed at ensuring the world’s 300 million undernourished children are educated