Attachments
Context & Rationale
Tropical cyclone Chido struck Mayotte, an overseas department of France, with full force on 14 December, with wind speeds exceeding 220 km/h, an event that Mayotte hasn’t seen in over 90 years. The cyclone with heavy rains caused flooding and according to the latest confirmed information killed 21 people, injured 830, displaced 100,000 people, affected 7,816 buildings and left 15,000 people without access to electricity.
It also severely damaged the infrastructure, including the airport and Mayotte Central Hospital, and making most roads inaccessible. Pre-existing vulnerabilities, such as a large number of informal housing, contributed to the level of impact and damage caused by the cyclone.
This report examines the impact of the cyclone in the context of pre-existing vulnerabilities and highlights the resulting humanitarian needs. It should be noted that the availability of information from different independent sources is limited at this moment, therefore most of the information presented here could not be triangulated.
Key Messages
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Shelter destruction: One-third of the population living in informal shelters has been displaced, leaving an estimated more than 100,000 people without housing.
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Damaged infrastructure: Roads, airports, and ports are inoperable; water, electricity and most telephone networks have been cut, complicating the humanitarian response and limiting search-and-rescue operations.
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WASH risks: Contaminated water sources and inadequate sanitation infrastructure significantly increase the risk of disease outbreaks.
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Access to basic needs: Food, fuel, and market access are severely constrained, with curfews implemented to prevent looting.
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Healthcare collapse: Damage to hospitals and healthcare facilities hinders the response to acute and chronic conditions.