Macron visits Mayotte, where thousands are still missing after the storm

Landing over Petite Terre, the smaller island of Mayotte, the level of devastation caused by Hurricane Chido is immediately apparent.

It is difficult to overstate the extent of the devastation to the landscape of this French Indian Ocean region, which was completely destroyed when the storm swept through the islands on Saturday.

The rolling hills that were previously covered with coconut trees now look barren and black. The leaves of the trees flew and their trunks became horizontal.

The 220 km winds destroyed the airport signal tower.

Even the nearest airport hotel — a sturdy structure and one of the few places with working Wi-Fi and electricity on the island — had a badly damaged roof and broken windows.

French officials reported that at least 31 people had been killed, but thousands were still missing and there were fears the death toll could rise significantly.

A state of exceptional natural disaster was declared in the region, which is one of the poorest regions of France with many residents living in shanty towns.

Similar scenes of devastation on Mayotte's other main island, Grande Terre, greeted French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday morning as he arrived with four tons of food and health aid.

But as he surveys the damage, some say the level of devastation here is a direct result of his lack of investment in the island.

With his government currently in disarray, and the fierce debate over immigration in France, Mayotte finds itself at the center of a political as well as a physical storm.

The presence of thousands of illegal immigrants on the island has long presented a dilemma for the French government, and now some in France argue that providing too much aid to the territory would encourage more immigrants to come.

Meanwhile, residents of France's poorest department are still waiting for food, water and shelter.

As we descended, heavy rain fell, filling the buildings whose roofs had been blown off with water.

This is just one example of some of the hardships Mayotte residents have been experiencing for nearly a week.

The state of emergency declared in Mayotte to include France's overseas territories is designed to allow administrative barriers to be overcome 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.

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.