In Madagascar, where community resilience and livelihoods are continuously eroded by cyclones, floods and drought, the gap between emergency humanitarian action and development assistance can become too wide to cross.
"When the question is not, 'if disaster will strike; but where, how long and how often?", there is little time to help communities back on their feet, Christophe Legrand, Early Recovery and Disaster Risk Management Advisor at the UN Development programme in Madagascar, told IRIN.
Over 100 people died when the Indian Ocean island was hit by cyclones Fame, Jokwe and Ivan earlier in 2008. The powerful winds, heavy rains and flooding affected over 340,000 people, of whom 190,000 lost their homes. There were six cyclones in 2007 - the worst year on record - while drought in the parched south has persisted for several years.
After visiting the cyclone-hit areas on the Indian Ocean Island in early July, Walter Kälin, the UN Secretary-General's Representative on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, said humanitarian assistance alone was not enough. "The populations affected by the natural disasters in Madagascar need dedicated and continuous support in order to rebuild their lives."
A Joint Damages, Losses and Needs Assessment (JDLNA), conducted after this year's cyclone season by the government, UN agencies and the World Bank to assure efficient transition from emergency to development, estimated cyclone-related losses at US$334.9 million.
The agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors suffered the greatest damage, followed by housing and public administration and transport, the report said, adding that "These sectors are crucial to the livelihoods of the poor in Madagascar, and the impact from the storms has increased the vulnerabilities of large portions of the population."
Real recovery
Legrand said Early Recovery (ER) was key to helping communities bounce back while they braced for the next crisis. "ER shortens the transition phase," he said. The emergency response focuses on essential life-saving activities, while ER starts the restoration of essential elements that can "kick-start normal development".
ER focuses on basic services, livelihoods, shelter, governance, security and the rule of law, environment and social dimensions, including the reintegration of displaced populations; it helps stabilise human security and addresses the underlying risks that contribute to a crisis. "ER helps ensure that [the millions of dollars] injected into a humanitarian response turn into long-term assets," Legrand noted.
Communities were also helped to become stronger after a disaster, and to be better prepared every time. "The Build Back Better concept helps decrease vulnerabilities," he said, so that instead of rebuilding a health centre with only plastic sheeting, a more sustainable and resilient structure could be erected.
An expensive bridge to build
But recovery comes at a cost. A paper on the 2008 Cyclones in Madagascar - Early Recovery Consolidated Strategy and Financial Needs, presented to UN agencies, government officials and humanitarian and development partners in the capital, Antananarivo, on 18 July by the UN Resident Coordinator's Office, estimated financial needs at $32.7 million.
"The international community needs to mobilise urgently to fulfil these needs," a statement accompanying the paper said.
Securing the necessary funds will be far from easy. A Flash Appeal, launched after the cyclones hit, is still heavily underfunded: of the $36 million requested, $17 million (48 percent) has been financed while another $1.8 million has been pledged.
Enough to help communities bounce back for the next crisis?
Although the first appeal made some provisions for ER, most donors opted to finance life-saving activities as a priority, and the timing did not allow for the necessary assessments to make the case for ER. "Donors are supportive of ER," Legrand said, but international competition for donor dollars meant budgets might be tight.
That did not make an effective ER response any less important. Xavier Leus, Resident Coordinator of the United Nations System in Madagascar, commented: "Poor households and communities of Madagascar have been the primary victims of the 2008 deadly cyclones and should not be forgotten, even at a time where multiple natural disasters in the world challenge the international aid community."
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