Introduction

With the September school year only a few days away, thousands of Malagasy children still do not know whether they will return to a desk, a classroom or a teacher. Repeated cyclones, chronic drought and growing insecurity. In Madagascar, school is no longer simply a place of learning. It has become a frontline, where climate, hunger and violence are waging a silent war against the future of children.

Cyclones, Recurring Enemies of the Classroom

Every cyclone season brings back the same scenario. In February 2026, Cyclones Fytia and Gezani struck the coast just two weeks apart, leaving more than 16,000 people displaced and depriving nearly 29,000 children of access to school in the Atsinanana region alone. Roofs were torn off, classrooms flooded and textbooks destroyed. As soon as an alert is issued, authorities have no choice but to close schools as a precautionary measure. In 2024, more than 59,000 students had already seen their education disrupted by tropical storms. Aware of this recurring reality, the Ministry of National Education has, for the first time, incorporated cyclone risks into the design of the school calendar itself.

The Drought in the Grand South, a Classroom Emptying in Silence

In the Grand South, the danger is not sudden. It gradually takes hold. The “kere”, a drought-related famine affecting the regions of Androy, Anosy and Atsimo Andrefana, forces entire families to withdraw their children from school to fetch water, migrate or work. Without school canteens, there is no guaranteed meal. Without food, sending a weakened child to school becomes increasingly difficult. As a result, tens of thousands of children in southern Madagascar remain on the margins of the education system each year, victims of a crisis that emergency assistance can only alleviate temporarily without ever providing a lasting solution.

Insecurity, Displacement and Conflict: Schools Caught in the Crossfire

Natural disasters are compounded by another threat, less visible but equally destructive: insecurity. Population displacement caused by droughts or floods exposes children, particularly girls, to increased risks of dropping out, early marriage, forced labour and even abduction while travelling to safer areas. In some remote communities, the lack of social protection and the weakening of community structures further undermine the bond between children and their schools, turning every new school year into an uncertain gamble.

Conclusion

Cyclones, drought, hunger and insecurity no longer strike in isolation. They overlap and worsen year after year. In response, Madagascar is beginning to take action through adapted school calendars, resilient schools built with the support of UNICEF and emergency kits distributed after each disaster. However, these measures will remain insufficient as long as schools are not designed from the outset as a shield against climate change. As the new school year approaches, one question remains: will Madagascar succeed in turning its schools into safe havens rather than allowing them to become yet another victim of climate change?

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