An exceptional natural disaster has been declared in Mayotte
A state of exceptional natural disaster has been declared in Mayotte as the French Indian Ocean territory suffers the devastation of Cyclone Chido.
French authorities say at least 31 people have died and thousands are still missing after the cyclone ripped through the small islands on Saturday.
It is the first time that a state of emergency of this kind has been declared in France.
The move comes as President Emmanuel Macron was due to arrive in Mayotte on Thursday.
“We are waiting for him,” said French Senator for Mayotte Salama Ramia.
She told the BBC that providing emergency food should be a priority: “We hope there will be food today or tomorrow, but it is really urgent.”
“One or two shops have opened but not everyone has the money to buy food and even the shops are starting to run out and so for me the food is really urgent.”
The state of emergency, specifically designed for the French overseas territories, allows administrative hurdles to be overcome in order to deal with the crisis more quickly and effectively.
Activation is for one month, but can be extended by two months if necessary.
“Given this exceptional situation, extraordinary resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable recovery plan for Mayotte,” said Minister for Overseas Territories François-Noël Buffet.
Emergency services have delivered food and water, cleared roads while trying to find the missing.
Health workers fear infectious diseases could spread as residents report a lack of clean drinking water and stores ration supplies.
Authorities said their priority was to restart damaged waterworks.
Half of the territory remains without electricity. A newly imposed curfew To prevent looting, people must stay in their homes for six hours overnight.
Mayotte is one of the poorest parts of France, with many of its residents living in slums.
Macron’s government has been criticized for having invested too little in Mayotte for several years.
It was home to 100,000 migrants seeking asylum in France and living in informal settlements. They are believed to have been among the worst affected by the cyclone.
Wish – The worst storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years – brought winds of more than 225 kph (140 miles per hour) on Saturday, flattening areas where people live in tin-roofed shacks and leaving fields of dirt and debris.
After Mayotte, the storm hit mainland Africa, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.
