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A week after the worst cyclone nearly a century on, and a day after a challenging presidential visit, the impoverished French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte is still struggling to count the dead, restore basic services and provide aid to a beleaguered population.
Cyclone Chido devastated the archipelago. Already exhausted, hospitals are overwhelmed with patients suffering not only from cyclone-related injuries, but also dehydration, malnutrition and disease.
At Mayotte’s main hospital in the capital Mamoudzou, doctors faced a series of crises.
“We lost 40% of patient rooms, about 50 to 60 beds,” said Dr. Roger Serhal, head of the department of obstetrics and gynecology. “So many patients come to the hospital and we don’t have room to receive them.”
As Chido battered the archipelago last weekend with winds of 220 km/h (136 mph), Serhal and his team delivered three babies, including one by C-section.
Structural damage to the hospital forced staff to triage patients, prioritizing the most severe cases. Although the official death toll remains at 35, according to the French interior ministry on Saturday, the number of seriously injured has risen to 78, while 2,432 people have suffered minor injuries. Health Minister Geneviève Darrieussecq warned that any estimates were likely to be vastly understated “compared to the scale of the disaster”.
Emergency aid was delivered by air and sea. 31 tons of food and 108 tons of water have arrived since the cyclone, and an additional 1.6 million liters of water is expected on a container ship on Monday, according to the Interior Ministry.
The hospital is operating at 50% capacity, while 109 patients have been evacuated to mainland France for emergency care. Three advanced medical sites have been established on Grande-Terre, the main island of Mayotte, to respond to the increase in need.
The storm destroyed entire settlements. Many people ignored the warnings, thinking the storm would not be that strong. Worse, many migrants avoided shelters for fear of deportation, authorities said, adding that there could be hundreds or possibly thousands of deaths.
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Doctors fear that a lack of clean water and electricity — along with overcrowded living conditions — is setting the stage for a health crisis. “Patients come because their illnesses are untreated, there is no water, there is no electricity. We are concerned about epidemics, such as the cholera epidemic that we stopped just a few months ago,” said Dr. Vincent Gilles, director of the hospital’s emergency medical services.
Hospital staff continue to work tirelessly, but resources are running dangerously low. “If it rains, it will be catastrophic,” Serhal said.
Among the patients struggling to recover is Saindou Mohamadi, 54, who broke his arm and sprained his ankle during the storm that completely destroyed his home. Speaking from his hospital bed, Mohamadi expressed despair for his family. “My mother is sick, I am sick, and my child is sick,” he said. “They have to eat, but I’m the one who takes care of the food, and now we have nothing.” With six children to support, Mohamadi is among countless residents left homeless and destitute.
“I’m not alone,” he said. “There are many among us who have lost everything — their houses, food. I want the government to take care of us, to give us food and a place to sleep.”
Mayotte, a densely populated archipelago of over 320,000 people, is also home to around 100,000 migrants, many of whom live in precarious conditions.
The poort the overseas region of France and, more broadly, of the European Union has long struggled with systematic neglect and underinvestment. About 75% of the population lives in poverty, and the archipelago’s infrastructure was ill-equipped to withstand a disaster of this magnitude. The destruction of Chido has exacerbated these challenges, leaving many residents with little faith in the government’s ability to provide timely and adequate assistance.
Efforts are underway to deliver emergency aid, including airlifts of water and food, but the scale of the need is staggering. Mayotte airport remains closed to civilian flights due to damage, further complicating logistics.
French President Emmanuel Macron, during his visit on Friday, acknowledged the gravity of the situation and promised reconstruction, but faced criticism from residents frustrated by the slow pace of aid.
Calling the archipelago “totally devastated”, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau painted a bleak picture – with around 70% of the population severely affected by the disaster and many left homeless and vulnerable. For now, the island’s residents and its overstretched medical staff are dealing with the terrifying effects of Chido, one day at a time.
© 2024 The Canadian Press
