French President Emmanuel Macron said this Monday (16) that he will visit the island of Mayotte, the poorest overseas territory in France, where hundreds, or even thousands, may have died after Cyclone Chido hit. The storm is the worst to hit the Indian Ocean islands in almost a century.
Macron met with ministers and emergency and security officials to discuss the response to the devastating cyclone.
He said he ensured emergency measures were in place to reach affected communities.
The French leader said that the trip to Mayotte in the coming days aims to support residents, public servants and emergency workers, as well as preparing the island for the future.
He also announced that a day of national mourning would be declared.
Cyclone Chido devastated large parts of the archipelago over the weekend, with winds exceeding 200 km/h, sweeping homes down the hills and cutting off telephones, electricity and drinking water.
More than 240,000 of Mayotte’s 321,000 inhabitants live in relative poverty. According to 2021 data from the statistics agency INSEE, Mayotte has an average annual disposable income of just over 3,000 euros (around R$19,300) per inhabitant, approximately eight times less than the Île-de-France region in around Paris.
This content was originally published in Macron will visit French island hit by cyclone in the coming days on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
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