“It took a week for my sister to give me news about my father”: from Foix to Mayotte, the concern of the Mahorais of Ariège

Gusts of more than 200 km/h, razed shanty towns, uprooted trees and collapsed houses: Saturday December 14, Mayotte was hit by the “most serious natural disaster in the history of France for several centuries”, estimates Prime Minister François Bayrou in a letter addressed to political forces. Despite the distance, more than 7,000 km, the people of Ariège show their solidarity with their fellow citizens hit by the disaster, the consequences of which have not been fully assessed.

In Foix, Hafou Ousseni is worried about part of his family still living in Mayotte. “It was very difficult for us: we had no news because of network problems. It took a week for my sister to give me news about my father. Morally and physically, it's difficult for us .” Having left Mayotte in 2009 and settled in Foix in 2013, the Mahoraise still remains attached to her origins. His relatives are spread across the island: his paternal family in the north, an area particularly affected by the cyclone, and his maternal family in the south, victims of the consequences of the damage. “The only information we had at the beginning was that they were well, but lacked food,” worries La Fuxéenne. Beyond the telephone problems, the water networks of this overseas department have also been affected: “In M'Tsangamouji [ville du nord de l’île, NDLR]where there is part of my father's family, they have no water. Fortunately, they have the river nearby to use water and cook,” she says.

“There is a feeling of abandonment”

According to Hafou Ousseni, the slums were the most affected, forcing people to leave them to take refuge in establishments such as schools, set up for the occasion. “They try to live, to help each other as best they can. They are very supportive, some take people into their homes while everything gets back in place. Our grandparents supported each other to build Mayotte, we can do the same. ” However, uncertainty remains. Inhabited by a feeling of helplessness, she wonders how long it will take before rebuilding everything in the face of this significant damage: “at least ten years”, she thinks. The cyclone was initially downplayed, with those close to him believing it would pass by the island as usual.

She recounts, through the descriptions of those close to her, an unbearable situation: persistent smells of corpses and the anger of the Mahorais, deprived of food and care. With her cousin, Djamadar Zahariyou, she criticizes that the aid is not shared with everyone and that it is poorly distributed. For them, this disaster illustrates both the abandonment felt by the island's inhabitants and the inefficiency of the authorities in its management. The words of the President of the Republic during his visit to Mayotte: “If it were not France, you would be 10,000 times more in trouble”, do not pass for Hafou Ousseni: “He does not have to say That's shameful, it sets us apart. In Mayotte, there is a feeling of abandonment.”

5,000 euros in aid voted by Lercoul

This Monday, December 23, France observes national mourning in tribute to the victims of Cyclone Chido. On this occasion, the French were invited to observe a minute of silence, which was done in Ariège, notably in Saverdun, on the square in front of the town hall, and at the Intercommunal Hospital Center of the Ariège Valleys (Chiva).

In Ariège, a small town of twenty inhabitants responded to the call for solidarity with financial support from the Association of Mayors of France. On December 17, the municipal council of Lercoul, commune of Haute Ariège, voted for aid of 5,000 euros. “It is a gesture of solidarity for one of the most terrible disasters and towards deprived and even abandoned populations,” explains François Lafon, mayor of Lercoul. The motion was unanimously accepted. “It’s a gift from a small town for an incomparable drama,” he concludes. Donations from the municipalities will go to Civil Protection, present in the region and one of the AMF's partners.

The “Ma p'tite île” grocery store in Pamiers has launched a harvest of essential products in collaboration with a national association. Announced two days ago, the collection will end when the stock of water, hygiene products and clothing is complete. “People had already called before the announcement, they are going to come and make donations. I am from Reunion which is not far away so I am trying to help,” says Cédric Payet, manager of the business.