firefighters from Hauts-de-France providing reinforcement in Mayotte after the passage of cyclone Chido

Since Sunday December 22, eight firefighters from Aisne and Hauts-de-France have been in Mayotte to help local populations. Reconnaissance actions, care, clearance, works… They are on all fronts to support the victims of Cyclone Chido.

Two weeks after the passage of Cyclone Chido which devastated Mayotte, the needs for aid, care and reconstruction are greater than ever. To provide support to the victims, eight firefighters from Aisne and Hauts-de-France went to the site this Sunday, December 22 with the association France Aide Urgence Secours International (FAUSI).

From, “everything is going pretty well“with the population and local authorities. But from an operational point of view, “it’s complicated, because it’s already a difficult island and the situation only amplifies a recurring problem“, notes Alexandre Pertin, president of FAUSI and Aisne firefighter, currently in Dembéni.

This morning again, the teams were on “recognition actions“in the slums. They have been rebuilt”almost“ as before the arrival of the cyclone. Indeed, we are in the middle of the rainy season, the inhabitants must “return to a more or less normal way of life, in quotes” and not stay outside. A lot of clearing work remains to be done. Tomorrow, a major project will be put in place to open access to the edge of a shanty town. “The community sets up containers to collect trash and garbage, and there are paths blocked by falling trees.“, which generates a multitude of waste and a significant health risk.

Alexandre Pertin underlines that a lot of work is to be planned on public buildings and permanent homes: “there are a lot of roofs torn off, the tarpaulin is being put in place and after that, the reconstruction phase will arrive in a second phase“But the biggest part remains medical support for the population. For the moment, the teams are managing to simultaneously set up one or two dispensaries per day. These bring together around a hundred residents per day for consultations, care light, serious wounds or burns The choice is made according to the estimated need: “when we go outside, we do half-day clinics with part of the team and our two doctors“. They also sometimes have the support of a civil security doctor.

However, Alexandre Pertin notes that the majority of the population does not go to fixed dispensaries. We must then go out to meet them to reach them. “On Dembéni, we have a fixed post and the gendarmerie, with the [camion militaire]comes to collect arbors, chairs, tables from our dispensary and will export it“to treat wounds.”Everything that requires employment, in any case medical knowledge, we share with the two or three doctors available at the dispensaries.“, he explains.

Alexandre Pertin had already intervened on the island of Saint-Martin after cyclone Irma in 2017.It’s exactly the same landscape, especially since it’s a Caribbean island, we have almost the same vegetation, the same island typology.“, he observes before adding: “that’s why, for me, it didn’t shock me, but in any case, one thing is certain: the damage is exceptional. To erase all this, it’s going to take time“.

Currently, the Mahorese populations lack water. They can find them in stores, but they still need to have the means to buy them. Many residents are forced to drink water from the river, the same water used for laundry,”and it can be problematic from a medical point of view”. Diet is also an important concern. “And then the rest of the population is satisfied with not much because they are used to not having much“, breathes Alexandre Pertin.

“There are people who have lost everything: clothes, furniture… they will have to incur a lot of expenses to find an acceptable way of life and standard of living.“, he concludes. The firefighter will leave Mayotte this Sunday, but a replacement of 12 colleagues will arrive the same day to continue the mission.