The storm was categorized as a “violet” level threat, the highest level, with winds of over 136 mph and high waves of submersion.
Impassable roads reduced to rubble, downed electricity and telephone networks… After the passage of cyclone Chido, the face of Mayotte changed. Many lost their lives, and countless lost their homes. The shanty towns, characterized by fragile, unstable houses, were home to 40% of the population of the archipelago’s 320,000 inhabitants. A large proportion of these structres have been “completely destroyed”, announced the French Minister of the Interior, leaving many homeless.
Faced with the distress of the hard-hit populations, Fondation de France launched an appeal for solidarity for Mayotte.
Fondation de France mobilized rapidly to provide assistance to the stricken population. With experience in post-storm recovery in the French West Indies in 2017 after cyclones Irma, José, and Maria, and in partnership with local organizations in the Indian Ocean region, Fondation de France quickly deployed rapid response initiatives to help the victims, supporting access to shelter, psychological support, economic recovery, and more.
A “Solidarity Mayotte” committee has been established to oversee relief efforts to assess evolving needs and determine the most effective paths of action. Volunteer experts from the “Preparing for and Responding to Crises and Disasters” committee have been urgently mobilized to review initial support requests from local and national organizations and approve the first aid efforts.
Building on its pre-existing initiatives in Mayotte, Fondation de France has renewed its support for collaborative efforts among several local organizations, including Naima, Solidarité Mayotte, and Horizons, as well as the international NGO Solidarités International. Together, these groups are addressing immediate needs through hygiene kit distribution, water decontamination filters, latrine cleaning, and wastewater system repairs.
Following this emergency phase, Fondation de France is focusing on reconstruction efforts and helping vulnerable populations return to normalcy.
Fondation de France has led post-emergency aid initiatives for over thirty years. It was one of the major players after the 2004 tsunami in Southeast Asia, the earthquakes in Haiti since 2010, the earthquake in Nepal in 2015 and the hurricanes in the French West Indies in 2017. More recently, it mobilized in Lebanon in 2020, in Ukraine since 2022 and following the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February 2023 and in Morocco in September 2023. It has demonstrated its expertise in meeting the needs of disaster victims, notably by providing psychological support for those most severely affected, helping to rebuild communities and support economic recovery.
Information on the work carried out on the ground and the results will be posted on the website www.fondationdefrance.org.
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