Cyclone Gezani Devastates Madagascar, Killing 36

- Cyclone Gezani made landfall near the eastern port city of Toamasina on February 10 as a Category 3 storm, with sustained winds of up to 185 km/h (115 mph) and gusts reaching 250 km/h (155 mph). - The port city of Toamasina, a crucial economic hub, suffered catastrophic damage, with some reports indicating up to 90% of its infrastructure was destroyed. This has halted mining exports and severely disrupted supply chains. - This disaster comes just 10 days after Tropical Cyclone Fytia struck the island nation, which had already killed 14 people and displaced more than 31,000. - The United Nations has allocated $3 million from its Central Emergency Response Fund to provide aid for more than 90,000 people, as the government of Madagascar calls for international support. - International aid organizations, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM), have deployed emergency response teams to the hardest-hit areas to assist with coordination and needs assessments. - After crossing Madagascar, the storm system moved into the Mozambique Channel where it is forecast to regain strength before potentially making a second landfall on the coast of Mozambique. - The cyclone has damaged or destroyed nearly 600 classrooms, compounding the impact on the nation's infrastructure. - Madagascar's cyclone season typically runs from December to April, and the country is considered one of the most vulnerable in the world to such natural disasters.