Key keywords: Madagascar albino attacks, targeted violence against people with albinism, superstitious albino body part trade, Malagasy human rights violation, disability hate crime Southern Africa, albino community safety crisis, superstitious witch doctor practices Madagascar A sharp rise in brutal attacks targeting people with albinism across Madagascar has triggered widespread panic among the country’s estimated 17,000 residents living with the genetic condition, as local authorities and global human rights groups scramble to respond to the escalating crisis. According to local albino advocacy group Association des Personnes Albinos de Madagascar (APAM), at least 19 reported attacks, including 8 fatalities and 7 cases of abduction or bodily mutilation, have been recorded across rural and semi-urban regions of the country since the start of 2024, marking a 120% increase in reported cases compared to the same period last year. Local law enforcement officials have linked the vast majority of the attacks to harmful superstitious beliefs pervasive in many Malagasy communities, where unregulated traditional healers often claim that body parts from people with albinism can bring good fortune, boost agricultural harvests, cure chronic illnesses, or bring success in business and political campaigns. Witness reports show that attackers, often hired by criminal networks trafficking albino body parts to cross-border markets in neighboring Southern African countries, have targeted victims in their homes, on their way to school or work, and even in public spaces during daylight hours, with children and elderly people with albinism disproportionately at risk. While the Malagasy government has announced a series of emergency measures, including increased police patrols in communities with large albino populations, a public awareness campaign to counter harmful superstitions, and a special investigative unit tasked with tracking down perpetrators of the attacks, human rights groups warn that the response has been woefully inadequate to date. APAM reports that less than 30% of the recorded attacks from 2024 have resulted in arrests, and many families of victims have received no government support or protection after reporting incidents. For many people with albinism in Madagascar, the surge in attacks has worsened already severe systemic barriers: most already lack access to affordable sunscreen and specialized medical care to treat the high risk of skin cancer associated with the condition, face widespread discrimination in education and employment, and are now forced to limit their daily activities or relocate entirely to avoid being targeted. Global disability rights organizations have called on the African Union and international human rights bodies to intervene, urging the Malagasy government to prioritize long-term investment in community support, anti-discrimination legislation, and targeted interventions to dismantle the illegal trade in albino body parts that fuels the violence.