A state of exceptional natural disaster has been declared on the island of Mayotte as the French territory in the Indian Ocean reels from the devastation caused by Hurricane Chido.
French officials reported that at least 31 people had died, while thousands were still missing, after the hurricane tore through the small islands on Saturday.
This is the first time that this type of emergency has been declared in France.
The move comes as President Emmanuel Macron was scheduled to arrive in Mayotte on Thursday.
The French Senator from Mayotte, Salama Ramia, said: “We are waiting for him.”
She told the BBC that the priority should be to provide food in emergency situations: “We hope that food will come today or tomorrow, but the matter is really urgent.
“One or two shops have opened but not everyone has money to buy food, and even the shops are starting to become empty, so food for me is really urgent.”
The state of emergency, specifically designed for France's overseas territories, allows them to overcome administrative obstacles in order to deal with the crisis more quickly and effectively.
It is activated for a period of one month, and can be extended for two-month periods if necessary.
“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-Noel Bouvet, Minister responsible for the Overseas Territories.
Emergency services are delivering food and water and clearing roads, while also racing to find missing people.
Health workers are concerned about the potential spread of infectious diseases, as residents report shortages of clean drinking water and stores ration supplies.
The authorities said their priority is to restart the damaged water stations.
Half of the area is still without electricity. Newly imposed curfew It requires people to stay indoors for six hours overnight to prevent looting.
Mayotte is one of the poorest regions in France, with many of its residents living in shantytowns.
The Macron administration has been criticized for underinvesting in Mayotte over several years.
It has been home to 100,000 migrants seeking asylum in France and living in informal settlements. They are believed to have been among the people hardest hit by the cyclone.
desires – The worst storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years – It brought winds of more than 225 kilometers per hour (140 mph) on Saturday, leveling areas where people live in metal-roofed shacks and leaving fields of dirt and debris.
After Mayotte, the storm hit the African mainland, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.
