Promoting prevention and resilience while addressing humanitarian needs

The UN Resident Coordinator in Madagascar has rallied the UN country team together to support the Government to respond to a series of natural disasters and climate related shocks, as well as advance its longer-term national development priorities. 

• In 2021-22, as Southern Madagascar experienced the most severe drought in decades and was also hit by a series of devastating cyclones, the leadership of the Resident Coordinator mobilized UN agencies and partners to scale up the Government’s emergency response and address the wide-ranging consequences of these extreme natural hazards, including through protection activities, climate risk micro-insurance, and emergency food and nutrition assistance. 
   
• As well as supporting this emergency response, the Resident Coordinator has convened the UN country team and partners to focus on scaling up prevention measures and build greater community resilience which are essential to tackling the risks and vulnerabilities that continue to give rise to humanitarian needs across Madagascar. More specifically: 
   
• The Resident Coordinator has put the spotlight, nationally and internationally, on the risks and vulnerabilities faced by Madagascar, such as its high exposure to extreme weather events including cyclones and drought, and the urgent need for disaster risk reduction measures. 
   
• He formed an inter-agency group to coordinate actions across UN agencies improve the integration of disaster risk reduction in the UN’s humanitarian response and development programming. 
   
•  He has connected and strengthened the UN country teams’ relationship and collaboration with relevant Government entities, reinforcing capacities to identify and reduce the risk of natural disasters across Madagascar. 
   
• Has built a coalition of actors with the Delegation of the European Union and USAID, backed by expertise from across the UN country team, to promote synergies across humanitarian, development and peacebuilding interventions in the south of the country, creating more opportunities for joint work among actors in these areas, including through a clear roadmap. 
   

Watch the video below from the Resident Coordinator to learn more about results in Madagascar.