CYCLONE INDLALA STRIKES MADAGASCAR - THIRD REPORT

UNCLAS ANTANANARIVO 000276 SIPDIS SIPDIS AID/W FOR DCHA/OFDA-SKHANDAGLE, KLUU, GGOTTLIEB, AFERRARA, AND CPRATT FOR DCHA/FFP/DP - SDOSHANJH, PNOVICK AFR/EA - OCOLE STATE FOR AF/E, MBEYZEROV AND DMALAC STATE FOR CA/OCS/ACS/AF, RBRANSON STATE FOR DS/IP/AF/E, CKOLLMAR PRETORIA FOR USAID/OFDA/SARO - HHALE NAIROBI FOR USAID/EA/FFP - NESTES, DGORDON ROME FOR FODAG GENEVA FOR RMA, DHA, IFRC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: SENV EAID PREL SOCI CASC MA SUBJECT: CYCLONE INDLALA STRIKES MADAGASCAR - THIRD REPORT REF: (A) ANTANANARIVO 270 (B) ANTANANARIVO 262 ¶1. Government of Madagascar officials are starting to release initial assessments of the comprehensive damage tropical cyclone Indlala left in its wake, primarily in the northeastern and northwestern regions of the country. The National Bureau of Management of Risk and Catastrophe reports 14,000 disaster victims (many of them homeless),including 14 people dead, two missing, and two wounded. Infrastructure damage includes two destroyed bridges, a flooded airport in Maroantsetra, missing vehicles, 344 damaged homes, and minor landslides. Two thousand hectares of rice paddies have been flooded and silted over, and vanilla crops in the north-east were seriously damaged. In most affected areas, telephone and electricity service has still not been restored. Apart from the escape of seven prisoners from the Maroantsetra prison, there have been no reports of cyclone-related security issues. Media sources have been reporting extensively on the "flash appeal" from the United Nations to the international community for assistance to disaster victims. ¶2. All American Citizens and Peace Corps Volunteers in the storm's path are safe and accounted for. ¶3. Post anticipates issuing a disaster declaration within the next two days. However, the focus of this declaration is expected to be far broader than the specific impact of Cyclone Indlala. This is the fifth cyclone of the season; Madagascar also bore the brunt of heavy and unusually prolonged rainfall from the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone. The combined impact of all these factors has produced damage and flooding across the island with an impact more far-reaching and long-lasting than the immediate damages from Indlala. MCGEE