Macron returns to Mayotte to review reconstruction efforts four months after Cyclone Chido: Video
French President Emmanuel Macron returned the French overseas territory of Mayotte on Monday, April 21, four months after Cyclone Chido caused widespread devastation.
His visit to the island is part of a five-day tour of the Indian Ocean. Cyclone Chido, which struck in December, resulted in the deaths of 40 people and caused an estimated €3.5 billion in damage.
Since then, essential services such as water, electricity, and telecommunications have been restored. However, local residents continue to wait for major reconstruction projects to begin, as reported by AFP.
On his arrival in the capital, Mamoudzou, Macron addressed the challenges the region continues to face.
“I want to pay tribute to the resilience of the Mahoran people and of all our compatriots who knew how to, during all these months, withstand extremely difficult conditions,” the president said.
“The situation before we even knew it was full of challenges. Water towers existed before the cyclone. The great economic and social difficulties were there. The period has been stabilised. I would say that we have responded to the extreme emergency. Now, I am here to see what has been done well and what is not done well enough to give a boost,” Macron added.
Macron faced criticism from residents during his December trip over the pace and scale of the government's response. He had promised a "full crisis response", but was met with frustration from the local population.
The French President responded to complaints, stating, "You are happy to be in France. If it wasn't for France, you would be 10,000 times worse off."
