Catastrophe waiting to Happen… in Mayotte , a French colony part of the EU, Most people live in now destroyed cardboard and metal sheet huts, with water a few hours every 3 days. Under French military rule half the 320k population survive without papers while rich EU Tourists stay in luxury resorts.

By Rishav Kothari, PBS News and DW Documentary on Sun, Dec 14, 2024 via https://wp.me/pIJl9-Fe0 at https://wp.me/pIJl9-Fe0 Telegram t.me/thefreeonline

views Dec 15, 2024 Mayotte: “Everything was written in advance”, Gaël Musquet, meteorologist specializing in the anticipation and forecasting of natural disasters who believes that “a crisis like this is prepared decades in advance”

Mayotte is legally PART OF FRANCE

“I am surprised that people are surprised by what is happening in Mayotte today,” adds Said Omar Oili, senator of Mayotte.

Tropical Cyclone Chido made catastrophic landfall over the island of Mayotte on Saturday, December 14, 2024, as a category 4 equivalent cyclone. Reports suggest hundreds or thousands of fatalities linked to the storm with widespread damage being reported across the island.

The French led military declared an ongoing curfew, a surrealist repression as up to half the population have lost any home to stay in.

Satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Chido making landfall in Mayotte at 07:30 UTC on December 14, 2024. Credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat, Zoom Earth,

Cyclone Chido causes hundreds of deaths on Mayotte islands in Indian Ocean, officials say

PBS News Updated on Dec 15, 2024 12:25 PM EST —

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may be close to 1,000, the island’s top government official told the local broadcaster Sunday.

Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand.”

He said it was “extremely difficult” to get an exact number right now after the Indian Ocean islands were pummeled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction. Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier Sunday but said that was expected to increase.

Chido has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, where aid agencies are warning of more loss of life and severe damage in northern Mozambique.

Docu from Feb 2024-Catastrophe waiting to Happen

Catastrophe waiting to Happen…Mayotte – An island on the edge | DW Documentary 337,310 views Jan 22, 2024 France’s overseas territory Mayotte is in a deep crisis. Can inhabitants like Wadaanti fulfil their dreams and leave precarious housing to study? Geographically, the island of Mayotte is part of the Comoros archipelago, situated northwest of Madagascar. Yet politically, Mayotte is part of France and therefore a territory of the EU. A popular destination for migrants, mainly from the neighboring Comoros, but also from Africa, Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. Most of these migrants are forced to live in precarious housing, living in constant fear of being deported again. Frustration is growing among the local population due to a rise in crime, a lack of infrastructure, and inflation. Locals feel abandoned by the government and believe that migrants are to blame. With a water shortage on the island now, the situation is threatening to escalate. A report by Luisa von Richthofen.

*******

The tropical cyclone blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was directly in its path and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The local prefect said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday night after an emergency meeting in Paris that there were fears that the death toll in Mayotte “will be high” and the island had been largely devastated.

Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said public infrastructure on Mayotte had been severely damaged or destroyed, including the main hospital and the airport. He said many people living in precarious shacks in slum areas have faced very serious risks.

Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.

High End Tourists inhabit Luxury Segregated Resorts

Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands about 800 kilometers (500 miles) off Africa’s east coast. It is France’s poorest island and the European Union’s poorest territory.

In some parts, entire neighborhoods were flattened, while local residents reported many trees had been uprooted and boats had been flipped or sunk.

The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

Only 100 rescuers and firefighters have been deployed in Mayotte from France and the nearby territory of Reunion, and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was due to be sent on Sunday. Supplies were being rushed in on a military aircraft and ships.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was closely monitoring the situation, while Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the cyclone while on a visit Sunday to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Chido continued its eastern trajectory and made landfall early Sunday in Mozambique on the African mainland, where emergency officials had warned that 2.5 million people could be impacted in two northern provinces, Cabo Delgado and Nampula.

FRENCH COLONIES ERUPT IN REBELLION .. Against French Colonial System 2024

Oct 16, 2024Wednesday October 16, 2024 Geostrategic Analysis. In the Caribbean Island of Martinique which remains under French colonial rule, social unrest has flared up again prompted by hyperinflation and the heavy-handed tactics utilized by security forces under the control of Paris.

Landlocked Malawi and Zimbabwe are also preparing to be affected, with both countries warning they might have to evacuate people from low-lying areas because of flooding.

In Mozambique, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Cabo Delgado province, home to around 2 million people, had been hit hard.

“Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,” UNICEF said. “While we are doing everything we can, additional support is urgently needed.”

UNICEF Mozambique spokesman Guy Taylor said in a video posted by the group from Cabo Delgado’s regional capital that alongside the immediate impact of the cyclone, communities now face the prospect of being cut off from schools and health facilities for weeks.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean and southern Africa has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year.

The cyclones bring the risk of flooding and landslides, but also stagnant pools of water may later spark deadly outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera as well as dengue fever and malaria.

Studies say the cyclones are getting worse because of climate change. They can leave poor countries in southern Africa, which contribute a tiny amount to global warming, having to deal with large humanitarian crises, underlining their call for more help from rich nations to deal with the impact of climate change.

Cyclone Chido causes hundreds of deaths on Mayotte islands in Indian Ocean, officials say

World Updated on Dec 15, 2024 12:25 PM EST — Published on Dec 15, 2024 11:34 AM EST

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — The death toll in the French territory of Mayotte from Cyclone Chido is “several hundred” and may be close to 1,000, the island’s top government official told the local broadcaster Sunday.

Mayotte Prefect François-Xavier Bieuville told TV station Mayotte la 1ere that “I think there are some several hundred dead, maybe we’ll get close to a thousand.”

He said it was “extremely difficult” to get an exact number right now after the Indian Ocean islands were pummeled by the intense tropical cyclone on Saturday, causing widespread destruction. Officials had confirmed at least 11 deaths in Mayotte earlier Sunday but said that was expected to increase.

Chido has now made landfall on the east coast of Africa, where aid agencies are warning of more loss of life and severe damage in northern Mozambique.

The tropical cyclone blew through the southeastern Indian Ocean, also affecting the nearby islands of Comoros and Madagascar. Mayotte was directly in its path and suffered extensive damage on Saturday, officials said. The local prefect said it was the worst cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.

WATCH: After devastating hurricane, Grenada demands global action on climate change

French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said Saturday night after an emergency meeting in Paris that there were fears that the death toll in Mayotte “will be high” and the island had been largely devastated.

Prime Minister François Bayrou, who took office on Friday, said public infrastructure on Mayotte had been severely damaged or destroyed, including the main hospital and the airport. He said many people living in precarious shacks in slum areas have faced very serious risks.

Chido brought winds in excess of 220 kph (136 mph), according to the French weather service, making it a category 4 cyclone, the second strongest on the scale.

Mayotte has a population of just over 300,000 spread over two main islands about 800 kilometers (500 miles) off Africa’s east coast. It is France’s poorest island and the European Union’s poorest territory. In some parts, entire neighborhoods were flattened, while local residents reported many trees had been uprooted and boats had been flipped or sunk.

The French Interior Ministry said 1,600 police and gendarmerie officers have been deployed to “help the population and prevent potential looting.”

More than 100 rescuers and firefighters have been deployed in Mayotte from France and the nearby territory of Reunion, and an additional reinforcement of 140 people was due to be sent on Sunday. Supplies were being rushed in on military aircraft and ships.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he was closely monitoring the situation, while Pope Francis offered prayers for the victims of the cyclone while on a visit Sunday to the French Mediterranean island of Corsica.

Chido continued its eastern trajectory and made landfall early Sunday in Mozambique on the African mainland, where emergency officials had warned that 2.5 million people could be impacted in two northern provinces, Cabo Delgado and Nampula.

After hitting Mayotte, the storm intensified overnight as it crossed the Mozambique Channel. The coastal city of Pemba has been battered by heavy rains and winds gusting up to 185km/h (115mph).

Landlocked Malawi and Zimbabwe are also preparing to be affected, with both countries warning they might have to evacuate people from low-lying areas because of flooding.

In Mozambique, the United Nations Children’s Fund said Cabo Delgado province, home to around 2 million people, had been hit hard.

“Many homes, schools and health facilities have been partially or completely destroyed and we are working closely with government to ensure continuity of essential basic services,” UNICEF said. “While we are doing everything we can, additional support is urgently needed.”

UNICEF Mozambique spokesman Guy Taylor said in a video posted by the group from Cabo Delgado’s regional capital that alongside the immediate impact of the cyclone, communities now face the prospect of being cut off from schools and health facilities for weeks.

December through to March is cyclone season in the southeastern Indian Ocean and southern Africa has been pummeled by a series of strong ones in recent years. Cyclone Idai in 2019 killed more than 1,300 people in Mozambique, Malawi and Zimbabwe. Cyclone Freddy left more than 1,000 dead across several countries last year.

The cyclones bring the risk of flooding and landslides, but also stagnant pools of water may later spark deadly outbreaks of the waterborne disease cholera as well as dengue fever and malaria.

Studies say the cyclones are getting worse because of climate change. They can leave poor countries in southern Africa, which contribute a tiny amount to global warming, having to deal with large humanitarian crises, underlining their call for more help from rich nations to deal with the impact of climate change.

Related

Anti-colonialist organisations from the last French colonies join in resistance …

Nov 23, 2023, Nov 23 (PTI) Denouncing the new French colonial settlement system, organisations from the last French colonies have signed a joint declaration to push for decolonisation, a cause supported by the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). Organisations from the French…. …

‘Liberation Front’ emerges across multiple French overseas territories

Jul 18, 2024The meeting was supported by the Baku Initiative Group (BIG) – an organization created last year with the stated goal of supporting “anti-colonialist movements” and backed by Azerbaijani authorities. Baku had already hosted the leaders of French Polynesia’s pro-independence party in May.