The state of exceptional natural calamity activated in the French archipelago of Mayotte

The French Overseas Minister, François-Noël Buffet, announced this Wednesday the declaration of the state of exceptional natural calamity in the archipelago of Mayotte after the passage of cyclone ‘Chido’which has left at least thirty dead, although it is estimated that the toll will continue to increase as the search for victims continues.

«In this exceptional situation, it is necessary to deploy exceptional means to quickly restore vital services and launch a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte. All resources must be mobilized to help and support our compatriots in this terrible time,” he stressed.

This measure, which has an initial period of one month, allows for management «faster and more effective of the crisis» and facilitate the application of emergency measures, since it allows greater response capacity for local and national authorities, while reducing certain administrative procedures.

The authorities of Mayotte, located in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and Mozambique, have raised this Wednesday to 31 dead and 1,370 injured the number of victims – although the first suspicions pointed to hundreds of deaths and notable damage – due to the passage of ‘ Chido’, which has also affected other countries in the region, such as Mozambique, where dozens of deaths have also been recorded.