Hunger in Madagascar is projected to escalate sharply in the coming months, with the number of people facing crisis levels of food insecurity expected to rise by 75% and an estimated one in 10 children under the age of five suffering or expected to suffer from acute malnutrition, according to a press release by Save the Children. The warning, issued on July 17, 2026 from Antananarivo, points to a rapid deterioration between October 2026 and February 2027. The alert draws on data from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), the global hunger monitor. Save the Children stressed that children will be the first and hardest hit as conditions worsen. The organization is calling for urgent international action before the lean season deepens the emergency.
According to the IPC, about 2.12 million people in Madagascar are currently classified in IPC Phase 3 (Crisis) or above between June and September 2026. This figure includes more than 183,000 people facing IPC Phase 4 (Emergency) conditions. Between October 2026 and February 2027, around 3.72 million people, roughly 10% of the population, are projected to face IPC Phase 3 or above. Nearly 426,000 people are expected to face emergency conditions, more than double the current number. Save the Children said the spiraling food crisis is driven by the lean or pre-harvest season, high food prices, and climate-related shocks.
An estimated 500,000 children aged under five, or one in 10, are expected to suffer or already be suffering acute malnutrition between May 2026 and April 2027. This includes approximately 78,000 children expected to have severe acute malnutrition, the most deadly form of malnutrition requiring urgent medical treatment. While the number of children projected to suffer acute malnutrition is slightly lower than in the previous analysis in September last year, the crisis remains severe. UNICEF data indicate Madagascar is home to about 4.8 million children under the age of five. Save the Children warned that urgent action is needed to save lives and livelihoods.
Tatiana Dasy, Save the Children’s Country Representative for Madagascar, described the human toll behind the figures. “Children are always the first and hardest hit when food runs short. Behind these alarming numbers are families already struggling to put food on the table, children going to bed hungry, and mothers forced to make impossible choices to keep their children alive,” she said. Dasy added: “Without urgent support, hundreds of thousands more children could face malnutrition, illness and long-term harm to their development. We cannot wait until families are pushed to the brink before acting.”
Save the Children is calling on the international community to urgently increase humanitarian funding for food assistance, nutrition services, health care, and climate-resilient support for vulnerable families before conditions worsen during the lean season. The organization has been working in Madagascar since 2016, specializing in education, nutrition, and child protection interventions. Over the years, it has responded to several humanitarian crises, ranging from droughts to the devastating impact of tropical cyclones. The latest IPC projections underline the scale of the challenge ahead. Save the Children urged donors and partners to act before the situation deteriorates further.
