Hundreds are feared dead in Mayotte after the French Indian Ocean territory was ravaged by a powerful cyclone.
Cyclone Chido, with wind speeds exceeding 225 km/h (140 mph), flattened entire settlements, severely affecting those in makeshift shelters.
Rescue workers, including French reinforcements, are sifting through debris in search of survivors. Emergency operations are hampered by extensive damage to infrastructure, including downed power lines and blocked roads.
Many of Mayotte’s 320,000 residents are grappling with severe shortages of food, water, and shelter. The island’s impoverished communities, particularly undocumented migrants seeking asylum, are especially vulnerable due to their fragile housing conditions. Mayotte relies heavily on French financial aid and struggles with poverty, unemployment, and political instability. Approximately 75% of the population lives below the national poverty line, and unemployment affects about one in three people.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his solidarity with the people of Mayotte, acknowledging their immense loss and suffering. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, set to visit the island, recognised the cyclone’s exceptional severity and assured increased efforts to aid the population.
Cyclone Chido also struck Mozambique, causing flash floods, uprooting trees, and damaging buildings near Pemba. The northern coastal provinces of Nampula and Cabo Delgado experienced structural damage and power outages on Saturday morning.
Frances Ibiefo
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