Madagascar is the fourth biggest island on earth and, because of its relative geographical isolation off the east coast of Africa, much of its flora and fauna exists nowhere else on earth. It is ranked as a low income country, 151st out of 187 countries in the UNDP 2012 Human Development Index.
More than 77 percent of the country's 21 million inhabitants are estimated to live below the national poverty line and more than half (57 percent) live in extreme poverty.
The island is prone to natural disasters including cyclones, flooding and locust invasion. The increasing fragility of the ecosystem due to deforestation and poor land management practices makes the population more vulnerable to shocks and food insecurity. According to WFP’s 2010 Comprehensive Food Security and Vulnerability Assessment, 35 percent of households in Madagascar are food insecure and 48 percent are vulnerable to food insecurity.
The country has been deprived of much non-humanitarian aid since the seizure of power in 2009 by Andry Rajoelina, current President of the Transition Authority. Unemployment has risen and the provision of social services remains limited. Monitored elections are due to take place this year.
With its poor roads and lack of access to clean water, the south of the island is worst off. Some 68 percent of households in the south are food insecure.
High unemployment and households’ vulnerability increase school drop-out rates in both rural and urban areas. The number of primary school children currently out of school is estimated at 1.5 million. The lack of human and financial resources has caused the closure of almost 340 out of 2,500 primary health care facilities.
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