El Nino Doubling Hunger Rates in southern Madagascar (For the Media)

Madagascar is struggling with its third consecutive year of drought. This year the cause is also due to El Nino. WFP is concerned about the effects of a possible La Nina later this year which could cause flooding at the crucial planting time. WFP plans to assist 300,000 vulnerable people through food distributions plus 80,000 people using cash between September and December 2016. Due to insufficient funding, WFP will be unable to assist some 340,000 food insecure people. WFP provides daily hot meals for 250,000 primary school students in 11 priority districts in the south.  Some US$ 7.5 million in contributions are urgently required to guarantee meals for these children for the 2016/2017 school year.