Fear of 'Thousand or More Dead' on Cyclone-Stricken Island Mayotte

nairobi - The island of Mayotte is facing a devastating aftermath following a powerful cyclone that has left thousands homeless and in need of urgent assistance.

The 31-year-old Raïnat Aliloiffa, a resident of the capital Mamoudzou, described the terror of experiencing the cyclone named Chido. 'I am still in shock,' she said, 'I have never experienced a cyclone before, and it is apocalyptic in its intensity.' Aliloiffa pointed out the destruction caused by Chido, the most severe cyclone since 1934.

Large groups of people in Mayotte are currently lacking access to water, food, and electricity. The island, consisting of two territories roughly the size of Malta, is situated between Madagascar and the African mainland near Mozambique. Chido ravaged through the sprawling shantytowns of the capital Mamoudzou with wind speeds reaching 220 kilometers per hour.

Approximately 100,000 out of Mayotte's population of over 320,000 have been left homeless as their flimsy homes made of wood and corrugated iron couldn't withstand Chido's devastating force. Aliloiffa shared her experience of witnessing house roofs fly through the air, highlighting the chaos and destruction wrought by the cyclone.

The scale of the disaster is hard to assess due to disrupted phone and internet connections caused by the destruction of telecommunication infrastructure. The storm severely damaged the national airport's control tower, leading to the suspension of flight services. Without proper air traffic control, aid efforts are complicated as planes have to land and take off unassisted.

Military aircraft from France have arrived in Mayotte carrying medical supplies and personnel to assist with disaster relief and maintain order. Despite being a French territory located 8,000 kilometers away from Paris in the Indian Ocean, Mayotte remains the poorest province of France, with over 80% of the population living below the poverty line.

The island is also grappling with a refugee crisis, attracting migrants from nearby regions seeking a better life or a gateway to Europe. Around 66% of Mayotte's population have migrant backgrounds, with tens of thousands residing illicitly in the affected shantytowns, raising concerns about their access to emergency services.

In the wake of the cyclone, the local hospital in Mayotte has been severely damaged, limiting its capacity to provide medical care. Minister for Health Geneviève Darrieussecq reported extensive water damage in critical hospital departments, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the injured.

Local authorities fear a staggering death toll, with estimates ranging from hundreds to potentially thousands of fatalities. Emergency response efforts are being coordinated by visiting officials, including the French Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau and President Macron, who convened a crisis meeting in response to the disaster. Additional assistance is being mobilized from the French territory of Réunion, 1,400 kilometers away.

'We are now in the process of repairing our home,' said Raïnat Aliloiffa. 'But I know that the recovery from this devastation will take years.'