UN agency conducts aerial surveys of cyclone damage in Madagascar

United Nations, Feb 12 A UN agency has distributed hot meals and cash to some households in Madagascar and conducted aerial surveys of the cyclone Batsirai damage, a spokesman said.

The World Food Programme (WFP), supporting the government's response, distributed 10,000 hot meals in cyclone shelters in Manakara, Xinhua news agency quoted Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, as saying.

"The agency has also begun the distribution of prepositioned food to displaced people," Dujarric said.

"They are also bringing food to Mananjary. Elsewhere, cash distributions for nearly 1,400 households is ongoing."

The WFP supports rapid assessment, including through an aerial survey by the UN Humanitarian Air Service, which also flies an air bridge between the capital, Antananarivo, and areas impacted by the storm, he said.

The spokesman said the agency provides road transport for its partners and has deployed staff to assess information technology needs for the humanitarian community.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said the Madagascar government's disaster management agency counted at least 92 deaths and nearly 61,500 more people displaced by the tropical storm last weekend.

Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor