France’s overseas territory of Mayotte is facing a humanitarian catastrophe after it was hit with Cyclone Chido on Saturday. Twenty people have been confirmed dead but the death toll is expected to reach hundreds if not thousands, according to local authorities.
The island, which is located about 185 miles north-west of Madagascar, experienced wind of over 225km/h (140mph). It has affected most of the infrastructure, including power and water supplies. An estimated 100,000 residents are without shelter or water, according to The Guardian.
“The hospital is hit, the schools are hit. Houses are totally devastated,” Mayotte’s mayor Ambdilwahedou Soumaila told AFP, as reported by BBC.
People are “starting to die of thirst and hunger” due to damages made to essential infrastructures, a Mayotte senator said.
“The situation is quite chaotic. We’re okay; we’re a bit flooded, but we have a solid house,” Amalia Mazon, a 27-year-old Mayotte resident told BBC. “It’s more about what comes after that concerns us. We don’t have any electricity, we don’t have any cell phone reception, and there’s still a lot of rubble everywhere.”
She noted the lack of resources and information concerning potential incoming aid.
“The water here is completely yellow. It’s unusable for us,” she said. “Honestly, there’s nothing here on the ground — no resources at all. There are three people trying to care for hundreds of people. We feel completely abandoned, and we don’t even know if help is coming. We have no news; we have no idea…”
The French government has deployed about 1,600 police officers and gendarmes on the ground to clear debris and assist the population, interior ministry spokeswoman Camille Chaize said on Monday. As BBC reported, about “800 personnel from emergency services Sécurité Civile will be sent out to help with recovery efforts.”
Mayotte residents have called out the lack of assistance from the French government for years. The island experienced weeks of protests against gang activity and the current migration crisis after a member of the French parliament visited Mayotte in January. The French overseas territory has also been experiencing its worst drought since 1997.
Mayotte is France’s poorest territory. About 84% of the population lives below the poverty line and over 40% lives off €160 (about $168) or less per month, according to the INSEE, France’s National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies, The Guardian reported. About 40% of the housing on Mayotte are shacks made of sheet metal and 29% of households have no running water.
