Mayotte begins to rebuild a week after devastating cyclone: Video
A week after Cyclone Chido struck the French island territory of Mayotte, the capital city of Mamoudzou is beginning the slow process of rebuilding.
The cyclone, which brought winds exceeding 220 kilometres per hour (136 miles per hour), left at least 35 people dead and 2,500 injured, according to the French Interior Ministry.
The actual death toll could rise, with concerns mounting over the undocumented migrants from nearby Comoros islands who lived in the deprived areas that were destroyed by the storm, AFP reports.
The neighbouring Comoros, which also claims sovereignty over Mayotte, declared a national mourning despite reporting no fatalities on its territory.
In Mamoudzou, residents described their struggle to recover from the storm’s aftermath.
"We're in the process of restoring the metal roofing that was there so that we can have a place to shelter for the night with the children," said Lailati Mahafou, whose house was destroyed. "No one can take my children and me because no one has a house anymore."
Another resident, Nassur Damourane, shared similar challenges: "My house is all broken up, and everything was destroyed by the cyclone. Now we're struggling to rebuild. We haven't had any help yet, but we hope something will come because we're waiting. What we need most of all is water. That's the first necessity."
The cyclone’s devastation has compounded existing challenges in Mayotte, the poorest department in France. Located about 5,000 miles from Paris, the island struggles with unemployment, violence, and a deepening migration crisis. Official figures indicate that 77% of Mayotte’s population lives below the national poverty line—a poverty rate five times higher than in mainland France.
French President Emmanuel Macron faced criticism during a recent visit to the archipelago. While surveying the destruction, Macron reportedly told residents, “You should be happy to be in France because if it wasn’t France, you’d be 10,000 times even more in the s***.”
Cyclone Chido, described by Meteo-France as the strongest storm to hit the region in more than 90 years, formed in the southwestern Indian Ocean and intensified rapidly before striking Mayotte. It had earlier impacted northern Madagascar before moving on to the French territory.
