Mayotte Residents Describe ‘Apocalyptic Scenes’ Following Cyclone Chido

Inhabitants of Mayotte have characterized the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido, the most powerful storm to strike the French Indian Ocean territory in 90 years, as “apocalyptic scenes.” The cyclone unleashed winds exceeding 225km/h (140mph), demolishing areas where the most impoverished residents resided in sheet-metal roof shacks. A resident of Mamoudzou, the capital city, stated, “We’ve had no water for three days now.” Another individual commented, “Some of my neighbours are hungry and thirsty.” French President Emmanuel Macron announced his upcoming travel to Mayotte “in the coming days,” pledging support for citizens, civil servants, and emergency personnel involved in the ongoing rescue efforts. Rescue teams, including additional personnel from France, are meticulously searching through debris for survivors. While twenty deaths have been confirmed, the local prefect suggested the actual number could be in the thousands. Macron indicated his intention to declare a national day of mourning, acknowledging “this tragedy, which has shaken each and every one of us.” Authorities reported difficulties in accurately determining the death toll, attributing this challenge to the substantial population of undocumented migrants—over 100,000—within the territory’s total population of 320,000. Extensive damage to infrastructure, including downed power lines and impassable roads, is severely impeding emergency operations. Although supplies have begun to arrive, certain areas face critical shortages of food, water, and shelter. Approximately 85% of the territory remains without electricity, and only about 20% of phones are functional. Some regions are starting to receive tap water. However, Amalia Mazon, a 27-year-old midwife from Brussels working at the island’s central hospital, continues to express concern over access to drinking water and food. Ms. Mazon informed the BBC, “The water here is completely yellow. It’s unusable for us.” The midwife further added, “We feel completely abandoned, and we don’t even know if help is coming. We have no news, we have no idea.” Geneviève Darrieussecq, the acting French health minister, stated that the cyclone had “degraded” the healthcare system across the archipelago. France colonized Mayotte in 1841, and by the turn of the 20th Century, it incorporated the three main islands forming the Comoros archipelago into its overseas territories. The Comoros voted for independence in 1974, but Mayotte opted to remain part of France. The island’s population is heavily reliant on French financial aid and has grappled with poverty, unemployment, and political instability. Around 75% of the population lives below the national poverty line, and the unemployment rate hovers at approximately one in three. A nurse working at the main hospital in Mamoudzou told BFM TV, “The images are apocalyptic. It’s a disaster, there’s nothing left.” John Balloz, a Mamoudzou resident, expressed surprise at surviving the cyclone’s impact. He remarked, “Everything is damaged, nearly everything, the water treatment plant, electric pylons, there’s a lot to do.” Mohamed Ishmael, another resident of the capital, conveyed to Reuters news agency, “You feel like you are in the aftermath of a nuclear war… I saw an entire neighbourhood disappear.” Mayotte Senator Salama Ramia told French media, “It’s the hunger that worries me most.” She added that “There are people who have had nothing to eat or drink” since Saturday. Francois-Xavier Bieuville, the island’s prefect, informed local media that the death toll could rise significantly once the damage is fully assessed. He warned that it would “definitely be several hundred” and could potentially reach into the thousands. Mayotte’s impoverished communities, including undocumented migrants who have traveled to the French territory seeking asylum, are believed to have been particularly hard hit due to the vulnerable construction of their housing. The prefect also noted that the Muslim tradition of burying the deceased within 24 hours has complicated the process of accurately documenting the number of fatalities. In addition to aid, 110 French soldiers have arrived to assist with rescue efforts, with another 160 en route. Approximately 800 volunteers from emergency response ranks are also being dispatched to join local police units. Upon his arrival in Mayotte, French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau stated that “days and days” would be necessary to ascertain the full extent of human losses. The relief operation is being coordinated from Reunion, another French overseas territory. Eric Sam Vah, a spokesperson for the French Red Cross, described the situation as “chaotic” to the BBC. He reported that the organization had only managed to contact 20 of its 200 Red Cross volunteers in Mayotte and reiterated concerns regarding the total number of deaths. The spokesman informed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, “The totality of the slums have been totally destroyed, we haven’t received any reports of displaced people, so the reality could be terrible in the coming days.” Cyclone Chido also made landfall in Mozambique, causing flash flooding, uprooting trees, and damaging buildings approximately 25 miles (40km) south of the northern city of Pemba. Three deaths have been reported there. Local authorities in Mozambique reported that the cyclone inflicted structural damage and power outages in the northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado on Saturday morning. Guy Taylor, a spokesperson for aid agency Unicef in Mozambique, stated, “we were hit very hard in the early hours of this morning.” He further noted, “Many houses were destroyed or seriously damaged, and healthcare facilities and schools are out of action.” Mr. Taylor conveyed Unicef’s apprehension regarding “loss of access to critical services,” including medical treatment, clean water, and sanitation, as well as “the spread of diseases like cholera and malaria.” Chido represents the most recent high-intensity, deadly storm to develop. Sarah Keith-Lucas of the BBC Weather Centre explained that the storm intensified due to its extended path over the ocean, noting that the cyclone would have diminished in strength had it struck Madagascar’s uneven landscape. However, Keith-Lucas also highlighted that climate change plays a role, affecting the intensity of storms rather than their frequency. The storm has since been reclassified as a “depression” and is projected to traverse southern Malawi, then Mozambique’s Tete province, before moving towards Zimbabwe by Tuesday morning. It is still expected to deliver 150-300mm of rainfall by the close of Tuesday. Additional reporting was provided by Eva van Dam. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding its approach to external linking is available.