French rescuers are working to restore essential services on Mayotte, a French overseas territory, following the devastating impact of Cyclone Chidou, which claimed hundreds of lives.
On Sunday evening, December 15, French authorities reported maritime and air operations to deliver humanitarian aid and equipment to the islands.
The first planes have arrived to provide emergency assistance due to the destruction caused by the cyclone. The state is fully mobilized to support the people of Mayotte in this crisis, said French Minister of Domestic Security, Nicolas Daragon.
Mayotte’s Prefect, François-Xavier Béville, stated that the death toll would likely reach several hundred, possibly thousands.
Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed the establishment of an airbridge between Mayotte and Réunion Island to facilitate aid. Three structures capable of housing 150 people are already on-site, with another en route.
Cyclone Chidou, with winds exceeding 220 km/h, struck Mayotte in the night of December 14. Meteorologists described it as the strongest storm in 90 years. The French Ministry of the Interior estimates that the storm destroyed homes for about 100,000 people, a third of the island’s population, who are being relocated to temporary shelters.
Last month, torrential rains in Spain claimed over 220 lives.
