More than 70,000 people were affected by Cyclone Batsirai in Madagascar. Josephine shared her experience with Humanity & Inclusion’s teams, which are conducting assessments in impacted communities.  

Send emergency aid to Madagascar

Humanity & Inclusion teams are visiting some of the most affected areas less than 24 hours after Cyclone Batsirai first made landfall on Madagascar. The storm has not finished its devastating path across Madagascar.

The cyclone’s damage is significant so far. At least 5 people have died and 52,000 people have lost their homes. It is likely those numbers will rise as initial assessments are conducted.

Humanity & Inclusion teams are now in lockdown to protect themselves from the Category 4 cyclone, about to hit the coast of Madagascar with winds of over 108 mph. Contingency stocks have been replenished to enable distributions to families affected by the storm as soon as the alert is lifted.

Cyclone Batsirai is expected to make landfall in Madagascar within hours, threatening the safety of hundreds of thousands of people. As part of their work on the island, Humanity & Inclusion’s teams implement disaster preparedness projects to protect the population of one of the world’s poorest countries.

Humanity & Inclusion’s teams in Madagascar are preparing for the arrival of Cyclone Batsirai, which is expected to make landfall on Friday night. Its intensity poses a grave danger to people on the island.

Vincent Dalonneau, Humanity & Inclusion's country director for Madagascar, shares how the team is getting ready to respond.

In Haiti, some earthquake survivors are finding it difficult to access the services they need. Mobile units allow critical services to come to them.

As mental health needs remain high among earthquake survivors, Humanity & Inclusion plans to expand its support to new communities.

Deliver emergency aid to Haiti

In Haiti, Humanity & Inclusion and its partners are providing rehabilitation care to people injured in the August earthquake. Some patients are healing from broken bones, while others are recovering from amputations.

Two earthquakes were recorded in Nippes, Haiti, on Jan. 24. Measuring at 5.1 and 5.3 on the Richter scale, the epicenters were 30 miles from Les Cayes, where Humanity & Inclusion teams continue to respond to the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck in August 2021.

Deliver emergency aid to Haiti

In Sierra Leone, Humanity & Inclusion is helping survivors of a fuel tank explosion access specialized rehabilitation care.

On Nov. 5, 2021, the explosion of a fuel tanker in Freetown killed more than 100 people and injured another 100. Facing a fuel shortage in the country, people gathered around the wreckage, collecting gasoline that leaked from the truck – then it exploded.

Humanity & Inclusion set up an emergency response to assist people burned in the incident, as well as survivors experiencing psychological trauma. After identifying affected individuals, the organization helped them gain access to mental health and specialized physical therapy. Almost two months after the explosion, survivors share their stories of recovery.

Accessing care

Humanity & Inclusion visited 201 people impacted by the blast: 133 family members of people killed or reported missing, and 68 survivors of the incident.

Among them was Mohamed, who received rehabilitation care for severe burns.

“I got burnt on my left ankle. I didn’t know what to do after being injured and I was afraid that the police would come and take me if I went to the hospital,” he says. “So I went back home and tried to take care of it on my own.”

Mohamed lives 15 miles from the site of the explosion.

“I was home when the Humanity & Inclusion team located me,” he explains. “They advised me to go to the nearest hospital to avoid infection. I received a treatment, including physical therapy, which is helping me. I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t gone to the hospital, as I couldn’t walk without a crutch. Now I am getting better day by day.”

To help patients get to their medical appointments, Humanity & Inclusion provides reimbursements for transportation costs.

“I am receiving treatment at Rokupa Government Hospital, about 30 minutes away from where I live in Old Wharf,” explains Mariatu, who was also injured in the incident. “Considering my condition, it’s difficult for me to attend daily care, as I have no income. Humanity & Inclusion supports me with transportation fees. It is so far the best support that I’ve received. I am now getting better every day.”

Humanity & Inclusion also created and distributed 800 leaflets with information about burn care, burn prevention and first aid tips to explain the complications risk and the importance of follow-up care.

Burn care expertise

When caring for burn injuries, physical therapy is essential during acute care in the hospital and long after discharge to avoid secondary complications and long-term functional limitations, which may lead to disabilities. With support from Humanity & Inclusion, 44 survivors received physical therapy.

Humanity & Inclusion deployed a physical therapist specialized in burn care to provide capacity building support for rehabilitation workers at the National Rehabilitation Center. The National Rehabilitation Center also deployed one rehabilitation worker in a community center to ensure continuity of care after the patients are discharged from the hospital. At the emergency hospital, 17 nurses and nine physical therapists were trained in burn care and physical rehabilitation care for patients with burn injuries.

“We are grateful for the burn training we have received,” says Emily, who leads the rehabilitation team. “The training was short but our team acquired vast knowledge, which is going to help us in our practice.”

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