LUSAKA, Zambia

Madagascar launched its first humanitarian hub Thursday, funded by the European Union (EU) and World Food Program (WFP), to strengthen emergency preparedness and response to crises for the cyclone-prone eastern and southern coasts.

The hub comprises two steel mobile storage units with a combined capacity of 1,000 tons to store humanitarian supplies such as food and medicines, with funding of €600,000 ($718,000) from the EU and an additional €200,000 from WFP.

"The humanitarian hub builds the capacity for the government of Madagascar to prepare for and respond to crises like cyclones, storms and floods. By allowing food, medicine and other vital supplies to be stored in advance, it helps speed up response times and saves lives," Tania Goossens, WFP country director in Madagascar, said in a statement by the UN.

EU Ambassador to Madagascar Roland Kobia said risk and emergency response management was about anticipating, preventing, and reducing effects before crises turned into human catastrophes.

Madagascar's National Office for Risk and Disaster Management (BNGRC) general director, Gen. Gabriel Ramanantsoa, said the hub's establishment in the eastern city of Manakara was a major step in strengthening national emergency preparedness and response.

The Indian Ocean island nation is one of Africa's most storm-prone countries, with tropical storms and cyclones often leading to fatalities, injuries, displacement and damage to infrastructure such as roads and homes.​​​​​​​