‘It was early, about 6am, when we heard people shouting, ‘The water is coming, the water is coming, the water is coming.’ We didn’t realise it would be dangerous for our whole village and family. We stayed for another 30 minutes and then suddenly we were hit by massive waves. It washed away all our goods, belongings and our home. We lost everything. We just ran and swam away from our house with nothing. All we own in the world has gone, washed away.’ 

Lanorhiy Rasoanantenaina and her family were one of many who lost their homes to Cyclone Haruna in Madagascar’s village of Ambosab close to the Fiherenana dyke. The tropical cyclone brought heavy rains that caused the dyke to collapse, which created a tsunami-type flood with millions of tonnes of sand and soil that destroyed all villages in its path.

The Rasoanantenaina family is currently living under a tarpaulin amongst 55 other families in the schoolyard of Ltcee Antaninarehina Infant School.

ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) member Peter Pearce (AU) was with Anthony Keating (AU) when they visited the school to carry out a needs assessment:

‘On arrival we were overwhelmed by the stale stench in the air of the remnants of what the flood left behind. The school’s roof was totally destroyed. We found three families huddled together under one of the tarpaulins, one being the Rasoanantenaina family. Like most of the families here, fishing is their trade.

 

Read more and view Anthony’s video report here: MADAGASCAR

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