Mayotte after Cyclone Chido: the urgent need for action

A little more than a month after Cyclone Chido in mid-December, Mayotte remains submerged in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis. This natural disaster, which has devastated the island, adds to the already immense challenges linked to poverty, housing insecurity, and intense migratory pressure.

Antoine Guimbaud, Indian Ocean Manager for Emmaus Connect*, based in Mayotte, shares his alarming observation: “There are water, food, health and medical needs: essential needs for the people on site.“

In this French overseas department, access to basic necessities is always complicated, with logistical and administrative difficulties. At some food distribution points, it has been reported that proper identification must be shown.

The cyclone has turned the lives of the island’s residents upside down, and the number of injuries related to the post-cyclone reconstruction continues to rise. The death toll is still not exactly known. A large portion of the population, the majority of whom were non-documented, lived in informal settlements that have now been completely destroyed. This places them in an extremely vulnerable situation. The health authorities fear a spread of epidemics, particularly linked to the consumption of dirty or polluted water.

“To respond to this humanitarian crisis, we need your support,” adds Antoine Guimbaud. “The urgency is real. Together, we can offer Mayotte’s inhabitants the means to rebuild their lives with dignity.”

Emmaüs France raised €135,000, which will be donated to projects in Mayotte via the agency of the Fondation pour le logement des plus démunis (ex Fondation abbé Pierre), with the support of the 5 groups on Reunion Island.

Every day, *Emmaus Connect acts to allow people in socially and digitally insecure situations to access the now essential online tools. They work in Mayotte but had to suspend their activities because of the territory’s current situation.

©Photo franek2