Madagascar Coronavirus (COVID-19) 7 April 2020

From a senior church leader

“In Madagascar everything is locked down and numbers of infections are increasing, We need God to help us. Nevertheless, the "Lock down" affects people's life in Madagascar because most of the people live day-to-day. Many informal markets are closed, only supermarkets are open during the day and yet things in supermarkets are expensive and not all can afford them. We are in crisis.

“Worse, I am afraid that we will not be able to control the situation because as much as the number of people infected by the Covid-19 is increasing, people are not following the social distancing. In my city in Toamasina, since Monday people went on strike against the Government because they need money to buy something to eat. Because of the "Lock down" and social distancing, they cannot do their daily business so they are not gaining money to buy food during the day.... People are more concerned about what to eat than the virus.

Desperate citizens of Madagascar “on strike” against the government-ordered lock down, 6 April 2020

“Many organisations are taking the opportunity to share food with people, for example political organisations do so to show their kindness and the Islamic groups of Madagascar are sharing food to show that they are a good religion, they actually buy people with their money in Madagascar.”