MAF flew two international aid organisations to inspect the damage after Cyclone Freddy, the southern hemisphere’s longest-lasting cyclone to record, battered Madagascar.
Medair and Doctors Without Borders chartered a MAF flight to fly to the south of the island where the cyclone which hit Madagascar with wind gusts reportedly exceeding 130km/h (81mph), had caused most damage.
Quick to Respond
Gilles and Sophie, representatives of Doctors Without Borders, went to Manakara where the organisation is working on a nutrition project. After last year’s passage of Cyclone Batsirai, as well as this year’s Cyclone Freddy, many of the rice fields and livestock in the region were destroyed, worsening the nutritional situation in the south.
I was impressed by your reactivity for our reservation and all the preparations
Doctors Without Borders decided to focus on providing medical care to those suffering from severe acute malnutrition. Gilles and Sophie explained that there were few options to fly to Manakara but said that MAF, which has flown Doctors Without Borders for many years, was the quickest to respond. Sophie said, “I was impressed by your reactivity for our reservation and all the preparations. We even received tickets and all, it's very professional." Gilles added, “it’s always such a pleasure to fly with MAF!”
A Long-lasting Collaboration
Representatives of Medair travelled to Mananjary on the same flight to help those who were affected by Cyclone Freddy. Tsiory, one of the representatives, said, “We felt the need to help our compatriots in these hard times through humanitarian actions.” Medair were proactive when it came to alerting the population living in the regions that would be the most impacted by the strong tropical cyclone. Three days before Cyclone Freddy made landfall, MAF flew seven members of the Medair emergency response team to Mananjary in order to assist and prepare the locals of Mananjary.
It is thanks to our collaboration with MAF and your quick responses, that we can do our humanitarian work and help those in need.
The team focused on the temporary displacement of those whose homes were at risk and prepared and equipped accommodation sites and emergency shelters. Tsiory said Medair’s long association with MAF made it an easy decision to work together during the cyclone response. “It is thanks to our collaboration with MAF and your quick responses, that we can do our humanitarian work and help those in need.” Said Tsiory.
