Families on Monday were still searching for relatives, two days after a storm devastated the French territory of Mayotte off the eastern coast of Africa, with fears that the actual death toll could be significantly higher than the official figure of 14.
Tropical Storm Chido caused extensive destruction, with wind gusts reaching up to 124 miles per hour, marking it as the worst storm to hit the territory in 90 years. President Emmanuel Macron convened an emergency meeting in Paris to coordinate the government’s response, while France initiated aid flights from Réunion, another French territory in the region.
François-Xavier Bieuville, France’s top-ranking representative on Mayotte, indicated that the death toll could reach “several hundred” and possibly “several thousand.” France’s interior minister, Bruno Retailleau, stated that it would take days to ascertain the true impact of the storm.
The interior ministry warned that the count of victims may be incomplete due to cultural practices among the Muslim population, who typically bury their dead within 24 hours, and the presence of a significant number of undocumented residents, complicating efforts to compile an accurate toll.
Geneviève Darrieussecq, the outgoing French health minister, noted that the health system had been severely impacted, leading to a “seriously degraded” access to care. She confirmed the official death toll of 14 during a television interview on Monday morning.
Prior to the storm, many residents of Mayotte, France’s poorest territory, were already facing challenges, with approximately 80 percent living below the poverty line. The storm particularly affected crowded shanty towns, resulting in widespread destruction, as evidenced by videos and photos showing homes in ruins and debris scattered across the landscape.
As families searched through the wreckage, many took to social media to post pleas for information about missing loved ones, often concluding their messages with expressions of solidarity. However, communication was hindered by disrupted mobile and internet networks, leaving Mayotte nearly offline for over 36 hours.
Ambdilwahedou Soumaila, the mayor of Mamoudzou, the capital of Mayotte, described the situation as one of “total chaos,” with extensive power outages and blocked roads.
Mayotte has also become a focal point in broader discussions in France regarding immigration, as the population has surged in recent years, straining social services. This increase is largely attributed to an influx of undocumented immigrants from the Comoros, a neighboring archipelago.
In February, efforts were made to reduce the appeal of Mayotte for immigrants by proposing changes to birthright citizenship, but these initiatives were halted following the announcement of snap elections. A similar bill introduced in September remains under discussion in the French Parliament.
Meanwhile, Mozambique also experienced damage from Tropical Storm Chido, with local officials reporting at least three fatalities. The storm made landfall in Mozambique on Sunday with winds comparable to a Category 3 hurricane, but has since been downgraded to a depression, continuing its movement southwest.
As the storm dissipates, the primary concern shifts to rainfall, which poses risks of flash floods and mudslides. Aid teams from the United Nations Children’s Fund are assessing the situation in rural areas of northern Mozambique, where communities are particularly vulnerable to cholera outbreaks due to pre-existing issues with access to clean water and sanitation.