Family members struggling after one week after of Cyclone Chido ripped through the French island territory of Mayotte expressed helplessness on Wednesday, a day before the arrival of the French president and another 180 tonnes of aid.
Some survivors and aid groups have described hasty burials, the foul smell of dead bodies and the destruction of unstable informal settlements whose migrant populations make it difficult to determine the death toll.
Located in the Indian Ocean off the east coast of Africa, Mayotte is France’s poorest territory and a magnet for migrants hoping to reach Europe. Indeed, France’s interior minister this week proposed a crackdown.
Saturday’s cyclone was the deadliest storm to hit the territory in nearly a century. It destroyed entire neighbourhoods in the group of islands with winds of more than 220 kilometres per hour (136 miles per hour), according to the French meteorological service. Many people ignored the hurricane warnings, believing the storm would not be that severe.
Residents are now making their way across the landscape in search of water and food as telecommunications remain poor and even sturdily built buildings including health centres have been damaged.
Ahmed Attoumane’s home was ripped apart by the destructive force on the cyclone. The roof and walls are gone, but his family is forced to still sleep there on makeshift beds on the floor.
A father of five children, he fears burglars and intruders. For the past few days, he and his 18-year-old son have been working to rebuild the house, salvaging what they can.
“We’re suffering. There’s no water, no electricity, and no candles and we don’t know where we can go to the toilet… Until now there’s no help.”
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As the island’s traumatized residents struggle to rebuild their lives, many complain about the lack of assistance.
Ahmed has been forced to borrow from friends and neighbours as they begin the job of rebuilding their home.
With the rainy season approaching, like other families, they worry they won’t have the means to rebuild in time.
