Cyclone Chido Leaves Mayotte Devastated, French Red Cross Struggles to Restore Contact

AFP | Geneva, Switzerland
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The French Red Cross announced yesterday that it has lost contact with most of its personnel in Mayotte, France's Indian Ocean territory, following the devastating impact of Cyclone Chido.

Cyclone Chido struck the archipelago over the weekend, severely damaging health services, cutting off power and mobile networks, and forcing the closure of the airport to civilian flights. Concerns are rising over access to drinking water supplies.

The French Red Cross has 300 volunteers and 137 employees in Mayotte, but communication breakdowns have hindered contact. So far, only 70 individuals have been reached.

“This does not mean at this stage that the rest are missing,” a Red Cross spokeswoman clarified, adding that efforts to establish contact are ongoing.

Tommaso Della Longa, a spokesman for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), highlighted the logistical challenges. “We are talking about more than 200 volunteers affected and out of contact,” he told the BBC. “Even shelter is lacking at the moment, and distribution logistics are a nightmare.”

He stressed the urgency of organizing humanitarian aid and search-and-rescue operations, warning that people may still be trapped under rubble.

According to the latest official figures, Cyclone Chido has claimed 21 lives in Mayotte. However, authorities fear the death toll could rise significantly once rubble is cleared and blocked roads are reopened.

Cyclone Chido later made landfall in Mozambique, where it has taken at least 34 lives and destroyed 23,600 homes, according to local authorities.