India sends medical aid, relief material to cyclone-hit Madagascar
Antananarivo, March 11 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) India dispatched humanitarian assistance comprising 12 tonnes of medical aid and 18 tonnes of disaster relief material to Madagascar on Wednesday, following the widespread destruction caused by Tropical Cyclones Fytia and Gezani earlier this year, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.
Sharing the information in a post on X, the MEA said India stood firmly with the people of Madagascar during the difficult period.
“India stands in solidarity with the people of Madagascar. Following the widespread devastation caused by Tropical Cyclones Fytia and Gezani earlier this year, India dispatched humanitarian assistance to support ongoing relief efforts,” the ministry said.
According to the MEA, an Indian Air Force C-17 aircraft carrying the relief material landed in Antananarivo with the humanitarian consignment.
The supplies include 12 tonnes of medical aid and 18 tonnes of disaster relief items aimed at supporting communities severely affected by the storms.
The relief consignment consists of life-saving medicines, surgical supplies, tents, water storage tanks, dignity kits and ready-to-eat meals, which are expected to provide immediate assistance to people impacted by the disaster.
Madagascar had faced significant devastation from Cyclone Fytia, which made landfall on January 31 and triggered severe flooding across several regions.
The island nation was then struck again in February by Cyclone Gezani, which caused further destruction, killed dozens of people and damaged the country’s second-largest city.
Tropical Cyclone Fytia struck Madagascar on January 31, 2026, making landfall on the remote northwestern coast near Soalala in the Boeny Region as a Category 3 equivalent storm, classified regionally as an intense tropical cyclone.
The storm had formed over the Mozambique Channel on January 28 and intensified while moving eastward. It eventually crossed the island before exiting into the Indian Ocean around February 1–2.
Soon after, Tropical Cyclone Gezani, also classified as an Intense Tropical Cyclone, struck Madagascar in February 2026, only days after Fytia. It was the third-named tropical cyclone of the 2025–26 South-West Indian Ocean cyclone season and was the strongest storm to affect Madagascar during that period.
Meanwhile, the MEA on Tuesday also announced that India has extended assistance to Mozambique following devastating floods that have impacted several provinces in the country.
The ministry stated that India stands in solidarity with Mozambique and has launched a multi-pronged humanitarian response to assist communities affected by the flooding in the central and southern regions of the country.
As part of its Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations, India has dispatched 500 metric tonnes of rice as immediate food assistance.
In addition, 10 metric tonnes of essential relief supplies, including tents, hygiene kits and rehabilitation support items, have been sent, along with three tonnes of critical medicines aboard an Indian Navy ship.
The MEA added that 86 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines had already been delivered through the sea route earlier as part of the relief efforts.
“India remains committed to extend multifaceted support – humanitarian, medical, and logistical – reaffirming its role as a trusted first responder and a steadfast partner in the Indian Ocean Region and Africa,” the MEA said.
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