The United States has announced an allocation of over $22 million in additional aid to boost resilience and food security for the most vulnerable populations in Madagascar.
The funding, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), marks the initiation of two new five-year projects aimed at enhancing resilience and food security in the Androy, Anosy and Atsimo Atsinanana regions of Madagascar.
The assistance is designed to benefit about 88,000 households that are identified as extremely impoverished and marginalised.
“This assistance, which will be implemented by consortiums led by USAID partners Catholic Relief Services and Cultivating New Frontiers in Agriculture, will support marginalized households to build sustainable livelihoods, develop financial capital and increase their savings and assets,” USAID said in a statement.
It will also support households to access existing health, nutrition, and water, sanitation, and hygiene services, and bolster households’ capacity to withstand future shocks and stresses.
The initiative complements USAID’s ongoing emergency programmes in response to cyclical crises such as droughts and cyclones in Madagascar.
In 2024 alone, the United States has already contributed nearly $103 million towards humanitarian aid efforts in Madagascar.
JN/APA