Madagascar

Madagascar is located in the Indian Ocean only 400 kilometers due east of Mozambique and has an estimated population of 17 million people.

Madagascar is classified as one of the poorest countries in the world (149th out of 174 countries in the 2003 Human Development Report), with a per capita annual income of only US $240. Approximately 1/3 of children complete primary school, and a just over 50% of the population is literate. Electricity reaches just 15% of the population. Economic growth is hampered by the country's limited infrastructure, mountainous topography, and severe weather conditions that lead to cyclones and flooding on a regular basis. The inflation rate from August 2003 - August 2004 was 19.9%.

Food security in Madagascar is poor as evidenced by the high number of people consuming insufficient calories each day and the high level of malnourished children. Only one in six children reaches her fifth birthday and 54% of the children under five years of age have stunted growth. Although 80% of the Malagasy population reside in rural areas and are engaged in agriculture as a primary or secondary activity, Madagascar's food production does not meet domestic needs. Only 35% of the population has access to safe drinking water.

Madagascar has also been ranked as one of the top three ecological "hot spots" in the world due to the combination of the richness of its endemic biodiversity and the environmental danger to its eco-regions.

Catholic Relief Services Madagascar continues to work with its partners to develop and implement a variety of projects that will positively impact the lives of the Malagasy people, projects that are currently reaching over one million people. Our program's main goal is to increase the food security of the poorest populations. The principles of Catholic social teaching guide our focus on the poor and our priority of upholding the dignity and equality of each individual.