In Madagascar, over three quarters of the country’s 20 million inhabitants live below the national poverty line. The country has a GDP per capita of US$ 461, and is ranked 135th out of 169 by the UNDP 2010 Human Development Index.
The island is prone to natural disasters including drought, cyclones, flooding and locust invasion, making it highly vulnerable to related food insecurity. 35 % of households are affected by food insecurity and 48 % are vulnerable to it. Chronic malnutrition rate reaches 49 %. In the southern regions, suffering from recurrent drought, food insecurity affects 68 percent of families. (Comprehensive Food Security, Nutrition and Vulnerability Assessment, WFP/UNICEF 2010).
Since 2009, the country is experiencing a political crisis due to the undemocratic change of power undertaken by Andry Rajoelina, current president of the non recognized High Transition Authority. Economic downturn due to political instability has caused loss of thousands of employments, deteriorating the already precarious situation of many households. While the government’s capacity to deliver basic social services is further limited, non humanitarian aid has been suspended by most of donors.
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