French President Macron Arrives in Cyclone-Devastated Mayotte with Aid

French President Emmanuel Macron has reached Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, which is still grappling with the severe impact of Cyclone Chido. Upon his arrival in Mayotte on Thursday morning, President Macron stated that he had transported four tonnes of food and health supplies. French authorities have reported a minimum of 31 fatalities, with thousands more unaccounted for, following the cyclone’s passage through the small islands on Saturday. Consequently, Mayotte has been placed under a state of exceptional natural disaster. Previously, Salama Ramia, the French senator representing Mayotte, informed the BBC that the most pressing need was emergency food. She stated, “One or two shops have opened but not everybody has money to buy food, and even the shops are beginning to be empty, and so, the food for me is really urgent.” This particular emergency declaration, specifically designed for France’s overseas territories, facilitates the removal of administrative obstacles to enable a swifter and more efficient response to the crisis. The declaration has been activated for an initial period of one month, with the possibility of extensions for two-month durations if necessary. François-Noël Buffet, the minister overseeing overseas territories, commented, “Faced with this exceptional situation, exceptional resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte.” Emergency personnel have been engaged in distributing food and water, clearing roadways, and actively searching for those who are still missing. Health professionals are expressing concern about the potential proliferation of infectious diseases, given reports from residents regarding scarcities of clean drinking water and shops implementing rationing measures. The authorities have identified restoring damaged water plants to operation as their primary objective. Power outages persist across half of the territory. A recently implemented curfew mandates residents to remain indoors for six hours during the night to deter looting. Mayotte is recognized as one of France’s most impoverished regions, where a significant portion of its inhabitants reside in shanty towns. Macron’s government has faced criticism for its long-standing underinvestment in Mayotte. The island has also served as a refuge for 100,000 migrants seeking asylum in France, who live in informal settlements and are thought to be among the most severely impacted by the cyclone. Cyclone Chido, identified as the most severe storm to strike the archipelago in 90 years, generated wind speeds exceeding 225 km/h (140 mph) on Saturday. It devastated areas where residents lived in shacks with sheet metal roofs, leaving behind expanses of dirt and debris. Following its passage through Mayotte, the storm proceeded to the African mainland, resulting in the deaths of at least 45 individuals in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.