General Staff of the French Army
Cyclone Chido destroys Mayotte
Heavy rain and winds that exceeded 200 km/h. It was the strongest storm to hit the archipelago in the last 90 years.
France prepares to deal with the consequences of one of his biggest humanitarian catastrophes of this century: the passage of cyclone tropical Desire on the islands of Mayotte.
Last Saturday, the archipelago in the Indian Ocean – between Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique – was severely affected by the cyclone.
There was rain strong and winds that exceeded the 200 km/h. It was the strongest storm to hit Mayotte in the last 90 years.
According to estimates by the department’s government delegation, it is feared that there will be “several hundred deaths”.
In an interview with the local public television channel Mayotte la 1er, the French Government delegate in the department of Mayotte, François-Xavier Bieuville, declared that it will be “very difficult” to make a final assessment and that, in the worst case scenario, the number of dead will be “close to a thousands or even several thousands”.
Until this Monday morning, they were 14 deaths confirmed. But if there are thousands of deaths, Cyclone Chido in Mayotte will go down in history as one of the worst catastrophes of the 21st century on French territory.
The situation of healthcare system in the French archipelago of Mayotte, devastated by a cyclone, is “very degraded with a badly destroyed hospital and equally inoperative medical centers”, said the French Health Minister today.
“The hospital suffered significant water damage and also degradation, particularly in the areas of surgery, resuscitation, emergency, maternity, essential parts of the hospital’s functioning”, described Geneviève Darrieussecq.
In an interview with France 2 channel, the French Minister of Health and Solidarity expressed concern about the situation, but assured that the equipment continues to work.
“Despite everything [o hospital] continues to function even if precariously”, said the government official who also described the existence of “medical centers that are equally inoperative”.
The control tower airport was also hit; all commercial flights are suspended.
Mayotte is one of the poorest areas in France and has been dealing with problems of gang-related violence for decades.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, President of the Republic, has already conveyed his condolences and solidarity to Emmanuel Macron, President of France, for the victims and displaced people caused by Cyclone Chido.
Em Mozambique, at least four people died and another 37 were injured in the provinces of Cabo Delgado and Nampula, organizations on the ground announced.
