Five days after the passage of Cyclone Chido, Emmanuel Macron came to see the extent of the tragedy. The Head of State is expected in Mayotte, Thursday, December 19, around 10:30 a.m. (8:30 a.m. in Paris), to provide support to the Mahorais, traumatized and faced with the colossal reconstruction project. His plane is carrying four tons of food and health aid, as well as rescue workers and “a very restricted delegation” to use as few resources as possible. Follow our live stream.
• The president’s program. After a “aerial reconnaissance of the disaster area”Emmanuel Macron will go to the Mamoudzou hospital center, then “in a destroyed neighborhood, in contact with the emergency services”. Finally, he must “discuss the situation of the island with elected officials”before which he could specify the “national mourning” that he intends to decree and begin to outline the titanic reconstruction project. He will then leave for Djibouti, where he must share the traditional Christmas meal on Friday, as initially planned, with French soldiers deployed abroad.
• A unique system activated to deal with the crisis. The Ministry of Overseas Territories announced, Wednesday evening, the activation of the state of exceptional natural calamity, supposed “enable more rapid and effective management of the crisis and facilitate the implementation of emergency measures”. “Designed to meet the specific needs of overseas territories, this system, never before used, allows greater responsiveness to local and national authorities, while reducing certain administrative procedures to allow more rapid and effective action for Mahoraises and residents. Mahorais”adds the ministry.
A sea bridge to facilitate distributions. “We are moving to the massive phase of support for Mayotte”declared the prefect of Reunion Island, Patrice Latron, while a “pont maritime civil” with the departure of some 200 containers expected on Sunday on the archipelago. Among this load, the equivalent of “millions of liters of water”. Thanks to these shipments, “no shortage of bottled water is expected”welcomed the authorities.
