France's Macron to visit Mayotte shantytowns wrecked by Cyclone Chido

20/12/2024 16:39

French President Emmanuel Macron was due on Friday to visit shantytowns in Mayotte ravaged by Cyclone Chido on the second day of a visit where he has faced calls to speed up relief to the Indian Ocean archipelago.



Officials in France's poorest overseas territory have only been able to confirm 31 fatalities more than six days after the cyclone, the strongest to hit Mayotte in 90 years, but some have said they fear thousands could have been killed.



Some of the islands' worst-affected neighbourhoods, hillside shantytowns comprised of flimsy huts largely inhabited by undocumented migrants, have not yet been accessed by rescue workers.



Macron decided to extend his stay and spend the night in Mayotte after residents pleaded with him to do so.



"I think it's a sign of respect and consideration that is important to me and which allows me to see a little more of what the population is going through," he told reporters late on Thursday.



During the first day of his visit, Macron faced criticism and boos from some Mayotte residents for what they called his government's sluggish response to the cyclone.