Emmanuel Macron in Mayotte: aid, management of shortages, security… the President expected there this Thursday after the passage of the cyclone

It is “probably the most serious natural disaster in the history of France for several centuries”, declared François Bayrou on Wednesday about Cyclone Chido, which swept the archipelago on the weekend of December 15. At the last report, the disaster had left 31 dead, a number which is likely to rise.

Emmanuel Macron will arrive on site this Thursday, two days after the resigning Minister of the Interior Bruno Retailleau. After a crisis meeting in Beauvau on Tuesday, he is eagerly awaited.

Four tons of aid

The President will arrive with, on his plane, “four tons of food and health freight as well as members of relief forces who will remain on site”, announced the Elysée yesterday.

“Upon his arrival, the President of the Republic will carry out an aerial reconnaissance of the affected territory, before going to a hospital where he will take stock of the situation with all the actors involved. He will then speak with the nursing staff and patients in care Finally, he will go to a destroyed neighborhood, to contact the emergency services, before discussing the situation on the island with elected officials. explains those around him.

Security

After his visit on Tuesday, the resigning Minister of the Interior set up a curfew on the archipelago. Added to this is the application of article 27, which gives more power and resources to the prefect of Mayotte. Then questioned about security, Bruno Retailleau explained that he was not “not necessary” to declare a state of emergency.

It remains to be seen how the situation evolved. This trip could be an opportunity to take stock of compliance with the curfew and the safety of residents, while the majority of housing in the archipelago has been swept away. It is also an opportunity to organize ourselves on the issue of looming shortages, and on the management of the overflows that this could cause.

National mourning

Finally, Emmanuel Macron should declare national mourning. This historic disaster risks causing hundreds of deaths and the loss of as many residents on French soil.

Such a day can only be declared by presidential decree, indicates the Vie Publique website. Flags will then be flown at half-mast – lowered to mid-level – and minutes of silence may be held. It is the Prime Minister who will have to decide on the modalities. The last one dates back to the death of the former head of state Valéry Giscard d’Estaing in 2020.