Mayotte: Survivors describe cyclone horror

On the night time Cyclone Chido hit the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte, Zinedine was in his residence, a small home made from corrugated iron and wooden the place he lives with eight of his relations.

Zinedine had obtained a warning from the authorities in regards to the cyclone, however he did not take it too critically.

“I believed it was like in earlier years after they warned {that a} cyclone was coming however it could simply be a little bit of rain. So we stayed residence.”

This time nevertheless the island was about to be hit by winds of greater than 124mph (200km/h) – the strongest cyclone to hit the island in virtually a century

So far 31 persons are recognized to have died, in response to French officers, and 1000’s extra feared lacking.

When one other, extra pressing cyclone warning got here by means of, Zinedine swung into motion.

“I informed my mum it is by no means occurred earlier than that they ship a message like this so I feel this time it is critical.”

He recommended they go to their neighbours’ place, a bricks and mortar home not removed from his, in a poor neighbourhood excessive up within the hills of Mayotte’s Petite Terre, the smaller of its two islands.

But his mum did not need to go, and he felt he needed to keep residence together with his household. The 20-year-old tourism pupil is the eldest boy in his household and feels accountable for them.

When the storm began, he and his mum hid his youthful siblings beneath a desk. Then there was a loud noise.

“The iron roofing of our home flew off. We panicked and appeared for shelter. There have been iron sheets, wooden and different huge objects flying in every single place.”

He took his siblings to the neighbour’s hut when he rotated he observed his mum hadn’t adopted.

“I made a decision to return exterior to get my mom though it was harmful with the wind and every part. I’d relatively die than go away my mum to die.”

His mom stood in the midst of their broken home holding a one-year-old child. She was terrified and would not let the infant go. Zinedine snatched him from her arms and ran to offer him to the neighbours. He finally needed to carry his mom out of the home.

“Luckily we’re all secure however we have misplaced every part. The solely issues we have been capable of save have been our papers and diplomas.”

Now he is making an attempt to rebuild his household’s residence. Finding new constructing supplies is extremely troublesome in Mayotte in the intervening time resulting from excessive demand, and he could not afford new roofing for his home so he tracked down a number of the corrugated iron sheets that have been blown off by the storm and plans to re-use them.

“I’m making an attempt to do what I can. Even although I’m not a builder, I need to do it myself as a result of I do not know if the authorities will assist us.”

All throughout Mayotte, others like Zinedine are trying to do the identical, the sound of hammers ringing late into the night time.

But as resourceful because the individuals of Mayotte are, they’re additionally indignant on the lack of assist they are saying they’ve obtained from the federal government.

During French President Emmanuel Macron’s go to to the islands on Thursday, he was booed while making an attempt to make a speech. As he visited a hospital, pissed off employees complained of being overwhelmed.

Most of the individuals we spoke to when in Mayotte have been but to obtain any state help, 5 days after the cyclone.

“We’ve solely obtained meals donations from volunteers who’ve additionally given us garments and water. The mayor’s workplace tried to assist a bit however that is it” says 18-year-old mother-of-three Yasmine Moussa.

She took her three boys, the youngest of whom is simply three months previous, to the closest shelter, a secondary faculty within the neighbourhood of Labattoir, shortly after receiving the storm warning on Friday afternoon.

“On the day of the cyclone my youngsters have been crying due to the noise. When we appeared exterior we noticed corrugated iron roofs flying in every single place. They stored asking me what was occurring, why every part was breaking,” she stated.

“I stated to them it is simply wind and rain however the subsequent day after they noticed every part was destroyed. They could not sleep that night time.”

When she headed again residence, she might hardly recognise her personal neighbourhood.

“Mango bushes had fallen through the storm and have been blocking the roads. My neighbour needed to level my home out to me as a result of I could not even spot it. There was water in every single place, the bathroom was damaged, my TV, every part was ruined. I attempted to avoid wasting what I might.

“I used to be in tears, I by no means imagined this could occur.”

Now she has nowhere else to go. She says the situations within the shelter are first rate however she wants a home to take her youngsters to. They now sleep on mattresses in one of many faculty’s school rooms with a dozen different households.

“It’s not regular to sleep like this. The doorways do not lock and generally strangers stroll in. I fear for my youngsters’s security and that they may attempt to steal from us.”

The Red Cross informed the BBC there are no less than 100,000 individuals in shelters round Mayotte.

President Macron has promised compensation for the uninsured, who make up nearly all of the inhabitants, however he hasn’t stated how a lot they will get.

The wants are enormous: virtually the entire islands should be rebuilt. But some on the political proper in France argue that spending an excessive amount of cash in Mayotte will solely encourage extra undocumented migrants to return to the French territory.

Back in La Vigie, Zinedine says he understands their objections however he disagrees.

“We’re people on the finish of the day. And we want assist.”