Aid crisis in Madagascar - in pictures

Andohotapenaka II district is part of the huge slum called 67 Hectare in the flood valley below Madagascar's capital city, Antananarivo Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Since the political crisis in March 2009, refuse collection has stopped and residents dispose of their waste around their homes, leading to chaotic, dangerous and unhygienic accumulations of mud and waste Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

As a result of the political unrest, at the end of 2009, Madagascar was suspended from the African Growth And Opportunity Act (AGOA), which had given the country exemption from 34% US import duties. The move prompted the closure of all the major textile factories around the capital. According to the district president, Solofonirina Randrianarivelo, 85% of the 8,300 adult population of Andohotapenaka II district worked in the factories. Malnutrition has become prevalent among the children of former textile workers, most of whom no longer go to school Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

It now costs parents 125,000 ariary ($65) to enrol their children at the district school. 'Most children no longer go to school,' says Randrianarivelo Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Randrianarivelo, 26, has sought outside help to support the area. He has established a children's centre staffed by volunteer teachers. To create employment, Unicef provided funds for 138 former textile workers to assist 57 masons in building a canal system for waste water to reduce pollution in the adjacent river where the women wash clothes Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Even though it is little better than an open sewer, the waste water canal system built by local labour created jobs and helped reduce river pollution. The canals are regularly washed through to prevent an accumulation of stagnant disease-bearing water Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Having lost their incomes with the closure of the textile factories, most parents have had to take their children out of school. Some attend a children's centre staffed by volunteers but only the brightest among them are eligible for grants to cover their enrolment in state schools Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

At Andohotapenaka II district's children's centre, 120 schoolchildren whose parents cannot pay enrolment fees receive free tuition. Two trained teachers and two volunteers staff the centre. Last year the 35 brightest children were given bursaries through NGOs to move to state schools Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Former textile worker Hanintsoa Rakotoarimanga, 37, (centre with hat) has taken her eldest child out of school since losing her job. ’For five years I had a job paying 10,000 ariary a day ($5). It was OK. But suddenly all the factories closed,’ she says Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Since the textile factories closed, the women who used to sew clothes have opened businesses on Rue Jacques Couture in Andohotapenaka II district Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

'Four years ago there were 137 businesses,' said the district president, 'and now there are 240. There is not really enough custom to keep the businesses going. It is a struggle for them' Photograph: Alex Duval Smith

Talata is a three-year-old female babakoto lemur who lives in Andasibe forest, three hours' drive from Antananarivo. She featured in David Attenborough's recent documentary about Madagascar and when her brother was born last year, park wardens gave him the name 'David Attenbrew' in tribute to the film-maker. International support for conservation projects has remained more consistent than for humanitarian efforts since the 2009 political crisis. The World Bank board is this month expected to give the go-ahead for a £37m ($60.5m) credit for an ongoing national parks programme Photograph: Alex Duval Smith