UN Consolidated Appeal for Funding for Madagascar

The UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has issued a Consolidated Appeal Process for Madagascar - Flash Appeal , in the wake of the ongoing poverty of this "least developed" country and the political turmoil of the past several months. Drought in some areas, cyclones in others contribute to the need for significant food aid. The Appeal indicates:

"The current delays and/or the suspension of government programmes, combined with the reduced capacity of the administration due to the sudden change in leadership and the suspension of some international assistance, has severely curtailed the current Government’s capacity to meet the basic needs of the population. To prevent the deterioration of the humanitarian situation, the Madagascar Humanitarian Country Team is seeking US$ 35,732,550 to save lives, bolster social safety nets and, should the political situation allow, support time-critical recovery. This appeal will be revised as the situation evolves and further assessment and surveillance data becomes available."

What can an individual do? (1) Look at the list of organizations that form the common appeal, and if you have a connection with any, make your voice heard. (2) Track the political situation in Madagascar by signing into Google Tracker and keep informed. (3) Contribute to any of these organizations, or to the Public-Private Alliance Foundation, which works with Madagascar as one of its focus countries (http://www.ppafoundation.org/ ) Only through being informed can we make a difference. I took the photos above in Madagascar in 2004. Some of these children were old enough to be in school, but school wasn't available to them.