French Territory Mayotte Faces Unimaginable Destruction From Cyclone Chido

On December 14th, the French archipelago Mayotte, which is located in the Indian Ocean between Mozambique and Madagascar, was hit by Cyclone Chido, the deadliest natural disaster that the area has experienced in over 90 years. The storm caused intense chaos, destroying the homes of around 100,000 residents, cutting off electricity, and disrupting critical infrastructure such as schools and hospitals. Alarmingly, hundreds of people remain missing, with 2,500 reported injured, including 200 in critical condition, and at least 31 officially confirmed dead. However, both local and French authorities estimate the actual death toll to be much higher, with hundreds, possibly thousands, likely to be buried underneath the rubble of collapsed houses.

Right after the storm took off, French Prime Minister Francois Bayrou stated that “the tragedy of Mayotte is probably the worst natural disaster in the past several centuries,” and promptly declared “exceptional natural disaster” measures for Mayotte to enable “more effective” crisis management.
The urgency of swift and impactful reconstruction efforts seems paramount, considering the pain that Mayotte’s residents have endured. Mayotte resident Mohamed Ishmael told Reuters that the people of Mayotte were experiencing a “tragedy” that felt like the “aftermath of a nuclear war.” He reported that he had seen “an entire neighborhood disappear.”
Another resident directly addressed French President Macron, stating, “Mister President, we fear that this is becoming like Haiti,” referring to the Caribbean country that is currently on the verge of breaking down after years of sociopolitical unrest.

Cyclone Chido, which also killed at least 73 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi, reached speeds of around 200km/h, making it by far the strongest and most destructive natural disaster in Mayotte’s contemporary history. Immediately after the storm, France sent aid in the form of food provisions, search & rescue staff, and financial support of around 1 million euros.

Simultaneously, to underline its solidarity with Mayotte, Macron scheduled a 2-day-long visit to the island to directly assess the destruction caused while additionally offering support to the local population and highlighting France’s dedication to rebuilding Mayotte. Whilst various residents were pleasantly surprised about Macron’s visit, others were deeply upset, shouting “Macron resign” as the French president was inspecting the island, to which Macron responded, “I’m not the cyclone. I’m not responsible.” Thus, tensions are observable high, which has left local as well as French authorities concerned, fearing that political unrest could evolve and further destabilize the already vulnerable island.

Concerns about Mayotte’s future have been dramatically increased by the storm, not only because of the high death toll, political tensions, and destruction of critical infrastructure but also due to the spread of deadly diseases like cholera and the lack of telecommunication due to the storm’s disruption of electricity. Thus, to avoid panic among the population and prevent unlawful activities such as looting in light of food and water shortages, French authorities have established a curfew between 10 p.m. and 4 a.m. The curfew’s effectiveness is debatable, however, as one resident told Macron that “people are [still] fighting over water.”

Unfortunately, food and water scarcity is nothing new for Mayotte’s residents. Despite being an official part of France, Mayotte is by far poorer than the mainland and has been struggling with political turmoil and extreme inequality for decades. After France occupied the Comoro Islands, which include Mayotte, in 1842 and ruled them for almost 150 years, an independence referendum was held to assess the status of the Comoro Islands in 1974. All Comoro Islands voted for independence except for Mayotte, whose residents may have hoped that their connection to France would bring socioeconomic prosperity due to France’s high political and economic standing. However, such aspirations remain unfulfilled as Mayotte seems like a forgotten territory that, despite receiving large-scale aid in light of the storm, is generally left to its own—to the overwhelming frustration of the local population.

Considering the detrimental impact of the storm and Mayotte’s pre-existing socio-political struggles, it is of utmost importance that France continues to support the island in search & rescue operations and the entire reconstruction process, which includes both financial and nonfinancial aid. Simultaneously, French authorities should urgently re-assess the general socio-political landscape of Mayotte and introduce measures to support Mayotte economically and politically in the long term, not just for immediate crisis management.

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