Prison facilities in Madagascar struggle to reconstruct

Prison facilities in Madagascar still remain shuttered and closed following last month's flood caused by the two destructive cyclones.

The February incident left five prison facilities damaged, with two completely drowned and irreparable.

The cyclons also left several roads impassable blocking relief food and other aides from reaching the affected areas.

In some facilities, prisons have decried lack of food and other amenities, as some also lack water.

The roofs to some of the facilities were blown away by the strong winds, leaving several prisoners exposed to the harsh weather.

Discussions are now underway to find new partners but also long-term solutions are being considered.

The national water company has been approached to try to connect the prison to the city's water system; though the water currently distributed in the city is still not good for consumption due to the consequences of the cyclones.

According to the prison administration, the solution could come from the Fanarinana project, a four-year program financed by the French Development Agency to the tune of 5 million euros.

The project looks into the hygiene and nutrition of prisoners in four of the country's prisons in Diego Suarez, Mananjary, Manakara and Antananarivo

The project is scheduled to start in April.