One month after Chido's passage, the emergency aid provided is like a band-aid on a bleeding wound
Eurochild member from Mayotte, Haki Za Wanatsa, shares a message highlighting urgent needs after Cyclone Chido's devastation—see how you can support their efforts in delivering aid to families and children.
Cyclone Chido's passage over Mayotte has left the island swept, ravaged, and bare. Almost a month later, the population remains helpless and is only slowly gaining access to basic resources. The Haki Za Wanatsa association and the Collectif CIDE Outre-mer are drawing attention to the living and care conditions of marginalized populations, as well as the adequacy of the emergency response to this total disaster.
- An alarming health situation in remote villages
Chido has struck a territory that was already highly vulnerable. Already suffering from precarious social and economic conditions before the cyclone hit, much of the population must now survive in catastrophic circumstances. To date, water and electricity supplies have not been fully restored across the island. Many people have lost everything in the cyclone, with no job to secure their livelihoods or home to return to. They are now destitute, largely dependent on emergency aid, which they are desperate to receive.
The beneficiaries met by our field teams shared their catastrophic living conditions. They reported a permanent lack of food, and many people with open wounds have no access to medical care because they live in remote areas or cannot travel to established health centres. Beyond physical injuries, there are the invisible, long-lasting wounds of people for whom the natural disaster has been profoundly traumatic.
Children—who account for 50% of the island's population—are also deeply affected by the disaster. Many do not have enough food, leading to significant health risks, and lack clothes and school supplies needed to return to school. However, going back to school is crucial to restoring a semblance of normal life for all children and pupils in Mayotte. This return to school must happen quickly, in conditions that meet the current needs of the children, including psychosocial support.
- Local associations provide effective emergency aid to the most marginalized populations
Since Cyclone Chido struck the island, Haki Za Wanatsa and its partners have been providing emergency aid thanks to financial support from the Fondation de France, Fondation des Femmes, and more recently, Fondation Proman. Several members of the Collectif CIDE (Apprentis d'Auteuil Mayotte, Régie Territoire Tsingoni, Action Coup de Pouce, Nayma, UDAF, ADSM-APAJH) are working closely on the ground with NGOs such as Humanity First and World Central Kitchen to deliver meals, Solidarité Internationale to distribute Aquatabs (water purification tablets), and Emmaüs Connect, which has provided our association with a generator. Thanks to our network of volunteers and community mediators, we can support the families and individuals most affected by the disaster, including those in the island's most remote areas.
- Call for Donations: Support local organisations to ensure equal access to emergency aid
In this extreme emergency, every second and every act of solidarity counts. You can make a direct donation to our organisation through our website wamitoo.yt (in the "Contribute" section) or support us via the donation funds of Fondation de France or Fondation des Femmes, a portion of which will be allocated to our organisation.
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