Paris: Authorities in Mayotte are racing to prevent the spread of hunger, disease, and lawlessness following the devastation caused by Cyclone Chido over the weekend. Meanwhile, Mozambique has reported dozens of fatalities from the storm’s impact on the African mainland.
Hundreds, potentially thousands, are feared dead in Mayotte, which bore the brunt of the cyclone’s fury. French officials reported widespread destruction across the Indian Ocean archipelago, France’s poorest overseas territory, before the storm moved on to Africa. Cyclone Chido’s powerful winds and torrential rains have left many areas inaccessible.
Emergency supplies, medical personnel, technical staff, and police reinforcements are being flown in via an air bridge with La Réunion, Mayotte’s only reliable supply route. However, with numerous regions still cut off and some victims buried without official records, authorities warn it may take days to fully assess the destruction.
So far, Mayotte’s interior ministry has confirmed 22 fatalities and 1,373 injuries. Despite these grim numbers, officials have not yet reported any outbreaks of disease. “It’s impossible to find them all,” said Mathieu Gouzou, a sports teacher at Bouéni M’titi-Labattoir Middle School in Dzaouzi, speaking about the missing students. “Many of them live in the nearby shantytown, which is currently inaccessible.”
French President Emmanuel Macron is scheduled to visit Mayotte on Thursday, according to his office. In France, opposition politicians have criticized the government for neglecting Mayotte and failing to prepare for climate change-induced natural disasters.
In the aftermath of Cyclone Chido, authorities in Mayotte are battling to prevent the spread of hunger, disease and lawlessness, while Mozambique reports dozens of fatalities from the storm https://t.co/XMF8Vok04d pic.twitter.com/HRw3aGAjzA
— Reuters (@Reuters) December 17, 2024
Prioritizing Aid Amid a Grim Reality
Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of Mayotte’s capital Mamoudzou, described dire conditions as authorities work to distribute essential supplies. “There are bodies starting to decompose, which could create a serious sanitary problem,” Soumaila told Radio France Internationale. “We have no electricity. When night falls, some individuals exploit the situation.”
The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that the death toll could be far higher, as about a third of the island’s population remains unaccounted for due to disrupted communications. “It’s a small island with 300,000 inhabitants, but approximately 100,000 people are unreachable,” IFRC communications manager Nora Peter said.
Naouelle Bouabbas, a dental surgeon at Mayotte’s sole hospital, said tens of thousands may have perished. “The lack of visible injuries amid widespread destruction suggests many victims are still buried,” Bouabbas explained.
Shantytowns Devastated by Storm
Cyclone Chido’s 200 kph (124 mph) winds flattened shantytowns, leaving rescue workers to comb through debris in search of survivors. “My children are traumatised, and my husband hasn’t slept in three nights,” said Anne, a mother of four and doctor, who returned to Mayotte after being stranded in La Réunion for professional training.
Mayotte’s growing undocumented immigrant population has added to the challenges. Over the past decade, the island’s population has increased by an estimated 100,000, complicating efforts to determine the cyclone’s full impact.
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In response to the growing lawlessness, France’s interior ministry has implemented a curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. local time, starting Tuesday.
Preventing an Epidemic
Access to clean water remains a critical concern. Doctor Claudia Lodesani of Doctors Without Borders emphasized the urgency of restoring drinking water supplies to prevent outbreaks of cholera and other diseases. “An epidemic is not inevitable, but the risk is extremely high,” Lodesani said, noting that shantytowns already lacked adequate health services and sanitation before the storm. “France will repair the hospital quickly, but conditions in the shantytowns are alarming.”
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Cyclone Chido is the strongest storm to hit Mayotte in more than 90 years. In Mozambique, officials confirmed 34 deaths, while another seven fatalities were reported in Malawi. Drone footage from Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province revealed razed homes and scattered belongings amid standing palm trees, painting a grim picture of the storm’s aftermath.
