Declared exceptional natural disaster in Mayotte

Mayotte has been declared a state of exceptional natural disaster as the French Indian Ocean territory recovers from the devastation of Cyclone Chido.

French authorities reported that at least 31 people have died, while thousands remain missing after the cyclone hit the small islands on Saturday.

It is the first time that an emergency of this type has been declared in France.

The move comes as President Emmanuel Macron was due to arrive in Mayotte on Thursday.

“We are waiting for it,” said the French senator for Mayotte, Salama Ramia.

He told the BBC that the priority should be providing emergency food: “We hope food will arrive today or tomorrow, but it is really urgent.

“One or two shops have opened, but not everyone has money to buy food, and even the shops are starting to be empty, so food for me is really urgent.”

Designed especially for the French overseas territories, the emergency makes it possible to overcome administrative barriers to confront the crisis more quickly and effectively.

It has been activated for one month, but can be extended for periods of two months if necessary.

“In this exceptional situation, it is necessary to deploy exceptional resources to quickly restore vital services and implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte,” said the minister responsible for overseas territories, François-Noël Buffet.

Emergency services have been delivering food and water and clearing roads, while also racing to find the missing.

Health workers fear infectious diseases could spread as residents have reported shortages of drinking water and stores are rationing supplies.

Authorities have said their priority is to get damaged aquatic plants back into operation.

Half of the territory is still without electricity. A new curfew imposed requires people to stay in their homes for six hours overnight to prevent looting.

Mayotte is one of the poorest areas in France and many of its residents live in slums.

Macron’s administration has been criticized for not investing enough in Mayotte for several years.

It has been home to 100,000 migrants seeking asylum in France and living in informal settlements. They are believed to have been among those most affected by the cyclone.

Desire – the worst storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years – brought winds of more than 225 km/h (140 mph) on Saturday, flattening areas where people live in shacks with sheet metal roofs and leaving behind fields of dirt and debris.

After Mayotte, the storm hit the African continent, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.