Madagascar’s Food and Nutrition Crisis - Doctors of the World

Madagascar’s Food and Nutrition Crisis

“IT IS VERY HARD TO SEE THE RAVAGES OF CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSED BY INDUSTRIALIZED NATIONS ON A POPULATION THAT HAS NO LEVER FOR ACTION TO PREVENT IT.”

For the past four years, Madagascar has been facing its worst drought, the worst in 40 years, caused by global warming, an emergency with dramatic consequences for the population of the country.  Today, more than one million people are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. And because they have lost their resources from crops, many can no longer go to health centers, nor pay for consultations and medicines.

Charlotte Berthier, General Coordinator of Médecins du Monde in Madagascar, testifies to this major food and health crisis in the country, especially in the Southern part of the country. She explains that “it is very hard to see the ravages of climate change caused by industrialized nations on a population that has no lever for action to prevent it.”

Madagascar

To respond to the humanitarian needs caused by this crisis, MdM France has launched an emergency response with two mobile clinics that reach out to the population to provide primary health care and family planning services, and assist patients with severe malnutrition.

As Charlotte points out “it is urgent that the responsible countries allocate resources to deal with this tragedy which is endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.”