Dr. Avnish Jolly , 1 Aug :Ann M. Veneman, on the first-ever visit by a UNICEF Executive Director to Madagascar, spent Sunday (28 July 2008) in Analanjirofo, the region hardest hit by Cyclone Ivan earlier this year.
Madagascar, the world’s fourth largest island, is prone to frequent cyclones and tropical storms. Cyclone Ivan was one of the biggest to hit the island, striking in February 2008 with winds of up to 190 kilometres per hour.
In the four districts that bore the brunt of the storm, the high winds and subsequent flooding, more than 160,000 people were affected. Some 364 schools and over 40 health centres were damaged or destroyed, with a serious impact on the health and well-being of children in the area.