The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
Edited News | OCHA , WMO
Bi-Weekly Press Briefing Madagascar Cyclone Emnati WMO - OCHA 22 February 2022
Fourth tropical cyclone in a month to slam into Madagascar
Madagascar is bracing for its fourth tropical cyclone in as many weeks, prompting UN aid agencies on Tuesday to appeal for $26 million in funding to help the most vulnerable.
Tropical cyclone Emnati is due to make landfall in the south of the island nation on Tuesday at around 1800 hours GMT on Madagascar’s east coast, but central and southern areas are also likely to be affected.
Although it is the typhoon season in the Indian Ocean, it is rare to see four storms hitting the same country in the space of four weeks, said Clare Nullis from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The expected intensity at landfall is tropical cyclone category 2 equivalent. We had been concerned yesterday that it might strengthen to a strong category 3 or even 4. That fortunately didn't happen. But even so, the winds are going to be very high, there have been high winds, destructive gusts of between 150 to 200 kilometres an hour, and it's a big storm, so these winds are going to cover a large radius.”
In late January, Tropical Storm Ana hit the Indian Ocean island. Emnati is expected to follow nearly the same track as Batsirai, that caused 121 fatalities and displaced an estimated 143,000 people on 5 February. More than 21,000 people are still displaced and a further 5,000 people were affected by tropical storm Dumako which struck on 15 February. An estimated 20,500 homes have been destroyed, flooded or damaged in the last four weeks.
“We’re in a race against time to protect those who dealt with the fury of the first three extreme weather events from the impact of emergency response teams have been deployed earlier to support the government led response,” said Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the UN humanitarian agency OCHA. “Some $26 million will be required to support the Batsirai response over the next three months, but requirements are likely to rise further based on the impact of this new and dangerous emergency cyclone.”
Ahead of the storm, the UN's Central Emergency Response Fund allocated $2.5 million to ramp up humanitarian aid and boost assistance, provide emergency healthcare, shelter and water purification supplies.
ends
SHOTLIST
- Exterior wide shot, United Nations Palace of Nations, Geneva. UN flag flying.
- Wide shot, press room UN Geneva.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Claire Nullis, spokesperson for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO): “The expected intensity at landfall is tropical cyclone category 2 equivalent. We had been concerned yesterday that it might strengthen to a strong category 3 or even 4. That fortunately didn't happen. But even so, the winds are going to be very high, there have been high winds, destructive gusts of between 150 to 200 kilometres an hour, and it's a big storm, so these winds are going to cover a large radius.”
- Medium shot, TV screen showing podium speakers in foreground with podium speakers in rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “Madagascar is set to be hit this evening, local time by the fourth extreme weather events in as many weeks with Tropical Cyclone Emnati likely to add to the damage already caused earlier by Tropical Cyclone Batsirai, Tropical Storm Dumako and Tropical Storm Anna. An estimated 270,000 people were affected by Batsirai, which struck central Madagascar on the 5th of February after Anna hit in late January. So, 21,000 people remain displaced and 20,500 homes were destroyed, flooded or damaged from that event.”
- Medium-wide shot, masked participant in foreground with TV screen showing podium speakers and podium speakers in rear.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “We are in a race against time to protect those who dealt with the fury of the first three extreme weather events from the impact of Emnati. Response teams have been deployed earlier to support the government-led response.”
- Medium-wide shot, TV screen showing podium speakers on the left side with podium speakers on the right side.
- SOUNDBITE (English): Jens Laerke, spokesperson for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA): “Some $26 million will be required to support the Batsirai response over the coming three months. But requirements are likely to rise further based on the impact of this new and dangerous Emnati cyclone.”
- Close-up, podium speaker sitting in front of the laptop in foreground with TV screen.
- Medium-wide shot, masked participant in foreground with TV screen and podium speakers in rear.
- Medium shot, masked participants listening and taking notes.
- Medium-wide shot, masked participants listening.
- Medium shot, masked participants listening.
- Medium-wide shot, laptop screen showing podium speakers in foreground with masked participants.
Similar Stories
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN rights chief urges de-escalation in Tigray amid rising tensions and violence.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF , WHO , OHCHR
In Sudan, sick and starving children ‘wasting away’ – UN humanitarians
Relentless violence, famine and disease are picking off Sudan’s children while attacks on healthcare and a lack of aid access hamper efforts to help them, UN humanitarian agencies warned on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Monday gave an update to the Human Rights Council on the situation in El Fasher, Sudan.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNOG
“A series of new Israeli operations and settlement plans in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, risk seriously undermining the viability of a Palestinian state and the realisation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination,” the UN Human Rights Spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan told the bi-weekly press conference in Geneva today.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , UNIS
UN voices concern over chemical spraying incident on Lebanon’s Blue Line
The UN reiterated concerns on Friday at reports that Israeli forces sprayed herbicide over areas north of the Blue Line separating Lebanon from Israel. The development poses a “serious humanitarian risk” to civilians living there, said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), briefing journalists in Geneva.
1
1
1
Edited News | WHO
Gaza: Five patients evacuated as Rafah reopens while ‘too many stayed behind’ – WHO
As time is running out for thousands of critically ill patients in Gaza, hope is alive for medical evacuations to increase with the reopening of the Rafah crossing in the southern part of the Strip, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNOG , OHCHR
This Sunday marks five years of crisis in Myanmar. Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights, and James Rodehaver, chief of the Myanmar team, today spoke on the conduct of recent military-imposed elections, deploring the failure to respect the fundamental human rights of the country’s citizens. The process served only to exacerbate violence and societal polarization.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNICEF
Brutal Gaza war erased years of progress on education, in an “assault on the future itself” – UNICEF
Restoring Gaza’s shattered education system is “lifesaving” and getting children back into schools must be an immediate priority, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said on Tuesday.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR , HRC
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights High Commissioner, made the following remarks during a briefing to a Special Session on Iran at the Human Rights Council.
1
1
1
Edited News | UNRWA , UNOPS , UNIS
Amid the launch of President Trump's Board of Peace and reconstruction talks on Gaza, UN aid agencies insisted on Friday that what Gazans need most is immediate relief from the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there.
2
6
1
2
Edited News , Press Conferences , Images | HRC
At UN, war crimes probe pledges to continue to work for all impacted by Hamas-Israel conflict
As President Trump launched the international Board of Peace plan for Gaza on Thursday, top independent rights experts tasked by the UN Human Rights Council with investigating grave abuses linked to the Hamas-Israel war pledged to continue their work seeking justice and accountability for all.
1
1
1
Edited News | OHCHR
UN Human Rights Office Spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani said Tuesday UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk was outraged by the repeated large-scale attacks by the Russian Federation on energy infrastructure in Ukraine.