What is happening in Madagascar?
Cyclone Gezani hit Madagascar’s northeast coast on February 10, leaving a trail of destruction. More than 400,000 people have been affected, and tens of thousands have lost their homes. More than 50,000 houses are either flooded or completely destroyed.
Toamasina, the country’s second-largest city, has been hit especially hard, with around 70% of the city severely damaged. Homes have been submerged, roofs torn off, and buildings have collapsed.
The cyclone made landfall shortly after Cyclone Fytia, bringing additional powerful winds and flooding, and leaving many communities without power or access to clean water.
Madagascar is in the peak of its cyclone and rainy season, and more heavy rain and flooding are expected. Shelter is urgently needed.
Mozambique and the wider region continue to face increasingly frequent severe weather, exacerbated by climate change.
The government has declared a national emergency and is calling for international support.
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How is ShelterBox helping after Cyclone Gezani in Madagascar
Our ShelterBox team is currently in Madagascar, assessing the damage and preparing to support families who have lost their homes.
Working closely with our partner Welthungerhilfe, and with support from Rotary International for international shipping logistics, our team has traveled to nine of the hardest-hit villages in Toamasina to understand the scale of need.
“We spoke with families in extremely remote areas of Toamasina. One woman told us her family is sleeping beneath what remains of their roof, blown off and propped up just enough to create a small space. They are sharing it with another family. Up to 90% of homes here are destroyed.”
— Martin, Senior Emergency Coordinator at ShelterBox
Many families have lost their homes entirely, while others are living in structures so severely damaged they cannot be safely repaired.
We are now preparing to provide shelter toolkits, corrugated iron sheets, kitchen sets, mosquito nets, and, where possible, solar lights, so families can begin rebuilding their lives. Our team will remain in Madagascar, with additional members arriving in the coming days to support distributions.
We have experience of working in Madagascar. We responded to Cyclone Giovanna in 2012, to flooding and landfalls in 2013, and again after Tropical Storm Chedza in 2015.
What will a donation to ShelterBox fund?
With the help of amazing supporters like you, we’re working hard to provide emergency shelter for vulnerable families around the world who have lost their homes after disaster.
In 2025 alone, ShelterBox supported more than 235,000 people with emergency shelter and essential aid across 18 countries and territories
In the past 25 years since being founded ShelterBox has:
- Supported over 3 million people worldwide
- Worked in around 100 countries around the globe
