Mayotte: After the Cyclone

Life is still struggling to return to normal in Mayotte, more than two months after Cyclone Chido. When the storm struck the archipelago on December 14, its devastating winds caused extensive damage—both material and, above all, human—deepening an already record-breaking level of poverty.

It ravaged crops and swept away the bangas, the precarious settlements that make up four out of every ten homes on the island. Kawéni, the largest shantytown in France, where around 20,000 people lived on the outskirts of Mayotte’s main city, Mamoudzou, vanished from the landscape before being rebuilt, sheet by sheet.

In the villages of Longoni and Dzoumogné especially, the Doctors of the World team has compiled an alarming assessment of the situation, citing multiple problems: limited access to food, electricity, and water; heightened risk of epidemics; loss of familiar landmarks; and a pressing need for psychological support.

With the help of reinforcements, the team has adapted its activities to meet the health needs of the affected populations as closely as possible, notably by setting up patrols and mobile clinics.

Following a more in-depth assessment of needs, the planned response in the coming months aims to continue restoring access to care for the most vulnerable populations through a health mediation approach. This will be complemented by awareness-raising, prevention, and health promotion activities, along with psychological support initiatives.

Photographs: 

© Olivier Borson