February 14, 2025
Violence in Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo: A humanitarian catastrophe
In Mayotte, Cyclone Chido has officially claimed at least 35 lives, with thousands still missing. This toll is expected to rise dramatically in the coming days.
On Saturday, December 14, wind gusts exceeding 220 km/h devastated the archipelago, causing immense material damage and tragic human losses. The cyclone destroyed shanty towns—precarious, climate-vulnerable areas where Doctors of the World works daily. However, the destruction extends beyond these areas, affecting the entire population, with widespread devastation even in the island’s center. Tens of thousands of people are now without shelter or means of survival.
In this crisis, Doctors of the World’s priority is to support our teams on the ground. Around thirty peer volunteers are carrying out mobile missions in Mayotte, often from within the very shanty towns they call home.
With electricity and equipment in short supply, an airlift is being organized by the authorities to respond to the emergency. Doctors of the World is preparing to send reinforcements as soon as possible to support our team, adapt our operations, and resume critical activities.
Mayotte is the French department most affected by poverty, with 77% of the population living below the poverty line. Four out of ten homes are made of sheet metal, and the sanitation network is largely inadequate. The cyclone has made access to running water even more difficult, compounding the crisis.
Doctors of the World has been present in Mayotte since 2007, working daily to ensure universal access to quality public healthcare, without discrimination, especially for those living in shanty towns.
Photograph
© MdM France