Cyclone Chido: Mayotte declared a natural disaster

A state of emergency specifically designed for French overseas territories allows for the removal of administrative obstacles to deal with the crisis more quickly and effectively.

It has been activated for one month but can be extended for two months if required.

“In the face of this exceptional situation, exceptional resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte,” said François-Noël Buffett, the minister responsible for the overseas territories.

Emergency services deliver food and water and clear roads as they race to find the missing.

Health officials are concerned that infectious diseases could spread as residents report a lack of clean drinking water and stores running low on supplies.

Officials said their priority was to get the damaged water plants back up and running.

Half of the area was left without electricity. Newly enforced curfew requires people to stay indoors for six hours a night to prevent looting.

Mayotte is one of the poorest regions in France and many of its inhabitants live in slums.

The Macron administration has been criticized for underinvesting in Mayotte for several years.

France has been home to 100,000 migrants seeking asylum and living in informal settlements. They are believed to be among the worst hit by the cyclone.

desire – The strongest storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years – gusted to more than 225 km/h (140 mph) on Saturday, flattening areas where people lived in shacks with sheet metal roofs and leaving areas of dirt and debris.

After Mayotte, the storm hit the African continent, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.