Cases of malnutrition among children under five in Madagascar are expected to rise sharply in the coming months, with projections indicating a 54% increase due to prolonged dry spells, cyclones, and the lingering effects of the 2021 drought. Save the Children, analysing new figures from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), estimates that 558,000 children will suffer acute malnutrition through April 2026, up from 357,900 in previous forecasts. Of these, over 155,600 children are projected to experience the most severe form of malnutrition, a life-threatening condition if not treated, marking an 86% increase from prior projections.
The worsening child hunger crisis is being driven by soaring food prices, poor market access, disease outbreaks such as diarrhea and malaria, inadequate healthcare, and a fragile health system. Southern and eastern Madagascar are the hardest-hit regions, where climate shocks and pest infestations have further compromised agricultural yields, destroying staple crops like corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes. Although the overall food security situation shows some improvement, with 1.2 million people currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity compared to 1.94 million in earlier forecasts, child malnutrition rates remain critically high. Over 29,000 people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) require immediate humanitarian assistance to prevent further deterioration.
Local communities are experiencing the real-life impacts of these challenges. Fifteen-year-old Stephanie described how cyclones and droughts destroyed her family’s livestock and delayed planting, leaving them unable to grow enough rice. Such testimonies underscore the cumulative effects of climate change, disasters, and food insecurity on vulnerable populations.
Tatiana Dasy, Save the Children’s Country Representative for Madagascar, emphasized that multiple hazards—including droughts, flooding, and locust infestations—have severely compromised food security in the Grand South, while eastern regions face deteriorating nutritional conditions linked to vector-borne diseases. She stressed the urgent need to scale up humanitarian operations, particularly for children, including improved access to clean water, food, and other essential items. Dasy also called for increased climate funding from high-income countries to support nations like Madagascar, which contribute minimally to climate change yet bear its most severe impacts.
Save the Children’s ongoing response in Madagascar focuses on improving child well-being and reducing child poverty. Initiatives include issuing cash grants to families, conducting mass screenings to identify malnutrition, and promoting practices such as exclusive breastfeeding and the use of locally available protein- and nutrient-rich foods. Since 2016, Save the Children has provided humanitarian aid in Madagascar, responding to droughts, cyclones, and other crises. In 2024 alone, their programmes reached over 12,700 children, reflecting the organization’s sustained commitment to protecting vulnerable communities amid growing climate and food security challenges.
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