France rushes help to Mayotte, where hundreds or even thousands died in Cyclone Chido

France has rushed to assist its overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean after Cyclone Chido caused devastating destruction, leaving hundreds, possibly thousands, feared dead. The cyclone struck on Saturday, causing widespread devastation across the densely populated island. Authorities reported an official death toll of 14 by Monday morning, though estimates suggest the true toll could be much higher. Cyclone Chido, the worst storm to hit Mayotte in nearly a century, brought winds exceeding 220 km/h (136 mph) and resulted in extensive damage, especially in the island’s poor slums and informal housing.

As French authorities scrambled to provide aid, rescue teams and medical personnel were dispatched from France and the nearby French territory of Reunion. The French government mobilized more than 800 additional personnel, and crucial supplies, including food and water, were being sent to assist the overwhelmed population. Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau arrived in the capital, Mamoudzou, acknowledging the scale of the disaster and stating that it would take days to fully assess the human toll. The situation was further complicated by the damage to key infrastructure, including the airport and hospital, which severely hindered the ability to get resources onto the island. The airport’s control tower was destroyed, meaning only military aircraft could operate.

The cyclone left entire neighborhoods flattened, exacerbating the already difficult living conditions in Mayotte. The island is home to around 300,000 people and has long struggled with poverty, making it the poorest department in France and the European Union. Mayotte has also been a magnet for migrants from nearby Comoros and Somalia, as people seek better living conditions and access to France’s welfare system. Many of the island’s most vulnerable residents live in informal housing, which was particularly susceptible to the cyclone’s fury. Due to the Muslim custom of burying the dead within 24 hours, and the presence of many undocumented migrants, an accurate count of the dead may never be fully achieved, local officials said.

Cyclone Chido also affected other nearby islands, including Comoros and Madagascar, but Mayotte took the worst hit. The cyclone, categorized as a level 4 storm, made landfall in Mozambique late Sunday and continued to move through the region. Mozambique’s authorities are warning that more than 2 million people could be affected as Chido continues its destructive path, and the death toll has already reached three in the northern part of the country. The cyclone’s impact is compounded by the poor state of healthcare facilities in Mozambique, which are ill-equipped to handle such a large-scale disaster.

In Malawi and Zimbabwe, officials are preparing for potential evacuations and flooding as Chido weakens while crossing over land. Cyclone Chido is part of a larger pattern of devastating storms that have hit the southwestern Indian Ocean and southern Africa in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people, mostly in Mozambique, Malawi, and Zimbabwe. More recently, Cyclone Freddy caused over 1,000 deaths across multiple countries.

The cyclone season in the southwestern Indian Ocean, which lasts from December to March, has seen increasingly powerful storms in recent years, and authorities are bracing for the possibility of more such events in the future. As Mayotte recovers from this disaster, the French government and international aid agencies continue to provide critical assistance, although the long-term recovery will likely take months, if not years.

The immediate priorities for authorities on the ground are search and rescue operations, restoring essential services, and providing shelter, food, and medical care to the survivors. In the face of this catastrophe, France’s rapid response underscores the importance of international solidarity in dealing with the aftermath of natural disasters. The tragedy of Cyclone Chido has highlighted the vulnerability of Mayotte’s population, and it is expected that recovery efforts will continue to intensify as the full scale of the disaster becomes clearer.