Cyclone Batsirai Devastates Madagascar, Leaves 120 Dead

Tropical Cyclone Enawo, seen above, swept across Madagascar in 2017. Cyclone Batsirai was of a similar appearance and caliber. (Wikimedia)

Cyclone Batsirai, a massive category-four tropical cyclone, has left 120 Malagasies dead and over 100,000 people displaced after making landfall in Madagascar on February 5. The strongest tropical cyclone since Cyclone Enawo in 2017, and the first tropical cyclone of the 2021-22 Indian Ocean cyclone season, Batsirai battered the island nation as it recovered from Tropical Storm Ana, which claimed the lives of 58 Malagasies just 2 weeks before. Cyclone Batsirai dissipated on February 11 after passing over Malawi and Mozambique.

Some experts have already made the connection between these two storm systems and climate change. Despite being one of the lowest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita, Madagascar is projected to experience more extreme weather events than many other countries around the world. Across Africa, perceived inequality in relation to the effects of climate change remains an issue of concern for leaders and citizens alike. Activists across Africa have highlighted the fact that despite their lack of contribution to human-caused climate change, the continent will experience some of the worst effects.

Wind gusts from Batsirai reached 235km/h and widespread flooding was reported in coastal regions. The severe weather left thousands of homes damaged or destroyed, contributing to over 100,000 people being displaced. In the Eastern district of Ikongo, entire villages were swept away by the storm. The overall damage and economic loss has been assessed at over $53.3 million, a figure that is expected to grow. A number of developed nations responded to the destruction by offering aid to Madagascar. The European Union, the United States, and the United Nations all agreed to provide necessities and funding to assist in recovery.

In response to the Cyclone’s disastrous impact, President Andry Rajoelina tweeted, “I am wholeheartedly with my compatriots who have lost members of their families and their homes following the destructive passage of cyclone Batsirai.” The president also announced that the military had been deployed to assist in disaster relief efforts. Rajoelina has had to tackle multiple challenges over the past year, including the wide-ranging effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and a severe food insecurity crisis. With food insecurity remaining a problem in Madagascar, Cyclone Batsirai and other natural disasters could exacerbate the existing famine, which has already put hundreds of thousands of people, including children, at risk for malnutrition.

Madagascar was not the only country affected by Batsirai. Nearby countries, including Mozambique and Malawi, were also hit by the storm. Up to this point, two fatalities have been reported outside of Madagascar. Destruction of housing and other infrastructure has also occurred, but to a much lesser extent than in Madagascar. Madagascar and its neighbors across the region are bracing for storm systems equal to and worse than Cyclone Batsirai in the future, especially given the stark reality of climate change.