Cyclone Gezani: 1001fontaines Ensures Access to Safe Drinking Water in Madagascar
After Cyclone Gezani struck in February 2026, access to drinking water became critical in Madagascar. Thanks to the rapid mobilization of our local partner Ranontsika, our operations in Tamatave resumed within 48 hours, enabling us to provide safe drinking water to thousands of people.
Cyclone Gezani: Access to safe drinking water impacted in Tamatave
On February 11, 2026, Cyclone Gezani struck Madagascar’s East Coast, particularly affecting the Tamatave region, where 1001fontaines is working alongside its local partner, Ranontsika. Damage to infrastructure, power outages, and fuel shortages quickly jeopardized access to drinking water for local communities. In this humanitarian emergency, ensuring access to safe drinking water became an absolute priority.
Despite extremely difficult conditions, the Ranontsika teams managed to resume production at the production facility in just 48 hours.
Their swift action made it possible to immediately address the communities’ basic needs, thereby:
- To double water production at the production facility: up to 6,000 jerrycans supplied daily
- To quickly supply affected populations: nearly 1 million liters of safe drinking water distributed
- To collaborate with other humanitarian actors: conducting water quality tests and food distribution
Water in School Programme: Restoring Access to Water in Schools
Beyond the immediate emergency, our goal was to ensure sustainable access to safe drinking water for the most vulnerable through our Water in School programme. As a result, the programme was able to resume in 13 out of 16 schools as of March 10, providing children with daily access to safe drinking water at their schools.
Learn more about our Water in School programme 2024-2025
Local water response praised by the Malagasy Ministry
The commitment of the Ranontsika teams has been lauded by the Malagasy Ministry of Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation, which has officially recognized the high quality of their actions. This acknowledgement underscores the importance of implementing local approaches.
As climate crises intensify, strengthening sustainable solutions is more essential than ever to protect the populations.
