Madagascar is bleeding
NASA took some pretty stunning and heartbreaking pictures of the Betsiboka Estuary back in 2004. These pictures birthed the nickname “the bleeding country” and called many into action as the effects of deforestation were making Madagascar bleed out. The red, clay soil we have here eroded into the river beds, reefs and streams, suffocating all life that was intended to be there.
Today, Madagascar is suffering, bleeding of another source. Politics, greed, frustrations, poverty, corruption, bribery, lack of water, lack of electricity, lack of justice and more have slowly been building a wall in the country’s veins. This week, they burst. What started as a peaceful demonstration turned destructive as the sun went down. Businesses were broken into and destroyed, burned, looted with no recourse. Then the rumors started as to why particular stores were targeted, and not others. Videos leaked of people being paid after bringing in their loot from alleged competitors. Videos of business owners crying as they entered their store fronts, completely devastated…Madagascar is bleeding from the inside.
The events in Madagascar lately have exposed the harsh reality of the country’s social, communal, structural and spiritual poverty.
As communities struggle with violence and chaos, the events are both heartbreaking and reveal the deep problems that afflict the people.
The incidents of looting following peaceful protests over the lack of water and electricity are a clear sign of social poverty. Many believe that individuals, as well as organized groups, were preparing to exploit the unrest for their own gain. However, the desperate nature of many individuals cannot be ignored. People, trying to survive within a system that has largely failed, have taken advantage of the chaos to grab whatever little they can. Each morning reports indicate that looting is currently ongoing, evidence of the widespread desperation in society.
This started Thursday, September 25th 2025 in Tana as a peaceful march was organized to express their concerns and claim their basic human rights:
– Their right to water, electricity, education, land, health care, safety…
– Their right to express themselves, to move around, to work, to build their future…
But this movement has been suppressed by repression, tear gas, misuse of force and arrests of innocent people. It later progressed to looting and rioting. And then each major city followed suit, including Tamatave where we live, with demonstrations, protests, arson and looting.
A curfew was put in place each night, and we continue to wait, and pray, and wonder when will the bleeding stop?
It’s heartbreaking to see so many of the Malagasy people around us suffering so much right now. It’s times like this that make us turn to our knees and seek help and hope from the only source who can give it. We are so thankful for The Word, The Truth. It is here in these pages we can find The Truth, no fabrications, no disillusionment. He is Sovereign, He sees and is in control over all these happenings.
Let us pray:
~So that the Lord may have mercy on Madagascar, the Malagasy people and the heightened situation;
~ So that it touches the hearts of the authorities and urges them to hear the appeal of the people who are suffering;
~ So that the situation does not degenerate into a bloodbath and innocent lives are not sacrificed;
~ For believers to continue to stand up peacefully, confident that the Lord will fight for them;
~For peace and stability to come quickly, and for God to make His presence known in Madagascar.
