Antananarivo, 12 September 2025 – Cases of malnutrition among children under five are expected to increase by 54% in Madagascar in coming months, as prolonged dry spells and floods caused by cyclones cause significant agricultural losses, and the impact of the devastating 2021 drought continues to be felt, said Save the Children.
Save the Children analysed new figures released by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on Tuesday and compared them to previous IPC projections, to reveal that the number of children projected to suffer acute malnutrition through April 2026 had risen from 357,900 to 558,000 - an increase of 54% from the previous forecast [1].
The projected hunger figures include over 155,600 children projected to suffer from the most severe form of malnutrition that could lead to death if not treated, a massive 86% increase from previous forecasts. Soaring food prices, poor market access, disease outbreaks including diarrhea and malaria, inadequate healthcare practices, and a weak health system have combined to worsen the child hunger crisis, with southern and eastern Madagascar the worst impacted.
Without rapid intervention, Save the Children said, the lives of children are at risk.
Though the overall food security situation seems to have improved, according to the IPC report, with approximately 1.2 million people currently experiencing high levels of acute food insecurity (IPC Phase 3 or above) between May and September 2025, down from 1.94 million people projected to experience food insecurity from the previous forecast, child malnutrition rates are worryingly high.
Additionally, over 29,000 people in IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) require immediate humanitarian intervention to prevent a rapid deterioration towards the most severe phases of acute food insecurity.
Parts of Madagascar are currently in the harvest and post-harvest period, a time when the food situation is supposed to improve, but climate shocks and intensified attacks by pests have compromised agricultural yields in several districts, destroying staple crops such as corn, cassava, and sweet potatoes, already weakened by drought.
Stephanie, a 15-year-old girl, spoke to Save the Children about the impact climate change is having on her family. She said: “One of the things I really feel is the impact of climate change, especially during cyclones, because many of our livestock died, especially the cattle. What really saddened me about our cattle was that they were our only valuable possession.
“October is normally the planting season, but the weather was arid, our land cracked due to lack of water, and we couldn't plant anything. We ended up planting much later, and up to now haven't been able to grow any rice.”
Save the Children’s Country Representative for Madagascar, Tatiana Dasy, said:
“The Grand South region of Madagascar is suffering the cumulative effects of multiple hazards, including droughts, flooding and locust infestation, which have compromised the food security of the population. In the east of the country, children are facing a deteriorating nutritional crisis linked to vector-borne diseases.
“While Save the Children is running a comprehensive humanitarian response in the south of Madagascar, an urgent scale-up of operations to provide lifesaving and sustaining assistance to affected communities, with particular emphasis on children, is needed. We need to provide more access to clean water, food and other vital items to vulnerable children and families.
“Madagascar is one of the lowest contributors to climate change, yet it’s one of the most affected by its impact. As such, we are calling for higher-income countries to increase climate funding, to support lower-income countries, who are at the sharp end of the climate crisis.”
Save the Children is running a humanitarian response to improve child well-being and reduce child poverty in the south of Madagascar. Besides issuing cash grants to families to buy food for their children, the aid agency is conducting mass screening to identify and refer cases of malnutrition, and running community awareness-raising activities to promote exclusive breastfeeding and the use of protein and nutrient-rich locally available foods.
Save the Children has been working in Madagascar since 2016, specializing in cash-based assistance, education and child protection interventions. Over the years, we have responded to several humanitarian crises ranging from droughts to the devastating impact of tropical cyclones. In 2024, Save the Children programmes in Madagascar reached over 12,700 children.
Ends.
[1] According to the previous IPC figures for Madagascar released on 29 December 2024, approximately 357,900 children aged 6 and 59 months were suffering or expected to suffer acute malnutrition between September 2024 and August 2025, with almost 51 percent (182,700) of cases expected in the Grand Sud-Est and 49 percent (175,200) in the Grand Sud. Of that total, 83,400 children were likely to suffer Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM).
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