Mayotte battered: Cyclone Chido leaves devastation and despair.
Credit: Shutterstock, hyotographics
Macron declares national mourning after parts of the French territory of Mayotte have been reduced to rubble after Cyclone Chido. The worst storm to hit the region in nearly a century unleashed its fury on the Indian Ocean archipelago several days ago leaving devastation in its wake. Entire villages were torn apart, leaving authorities fearing hundreds, even thousands dead.
“National mourning will be declared,” President Macron announced on Monday, December 16, vowing to visit the shattered islands to oversee rescue efforts personally. He called the storm a “tragedy that has shaken us all.”
Nature’s rage unleashed
Winds of 136mph ripped through the densely populated islands, tearing roofs off metal shacks and flattening communities. Mayotte’s main airport remains crippled, limiting access to vital aid. Satellite images reveal a war zone – splintered houses, broken trees, and unimaginable destruction.
Rescue operations are in full swing, with French military forces arriving to clear roads, evacuate survivors, and prevent looting. Local senator Salama Ramia painted a harrowing picture, saying, “There’s no water, no food – babies are hungry, and we have nothing to offer.”
Life on the brink
Mayotte, often dubbed “France’s forgotten department,” is the poorest corner of the European Union, where three-quarters of residents live below the poverty line. For years, locals have cried out about neglect -and now their worst fears seem to have come true.
Hospitals are overwhelmed, their intensive care units on the verge of total collapse and surgeries halted. Medical teams are scrambling to set up field clinics as France pledges 100 additional health workers.
But the real nightmare is the death toll. Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville admitted: “It may be impossible to count all the dead.” Islamic burial traditions require funerals within 24 hours, while illegal migrants from neighbouring Somalia and Comoros may never be found.
A storm of misery
For Mayotte’s 300,000 residents, survival has become a desperate fight. Families huddle in makeshift shelters, many without power or clean water. The cyclone season in the Indian Ocean runs until March, raising fears of more deadly storms to come.
Chido didn’t stop at Mayotte – moving west, it pummelled Mozambique, where thousands more are at risk. Aid agencies are now warning of a humanitarian catastrophe in the region.
Neglect, anger, and a call for help
French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau landed in Mamoudzou, the island’s capital, as 1,600 gendarmes were deployed to prevent chaos. But anger simmers beneath the surface. Locals, long ignored, are demanding action, fearing they’ll be left to pick up the pieces.
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