President Emmanuel Macron informed the media that he will visit Mayotte in the coming days following Cyclone Chido, which ripped through the French Indian Ocean territory, leaving a trail of major damage and hundreds feared dead. BBC News reported that almost 1,000 people are feared dead.

The French president convened a meeting with government officials at the French Interior Ministry’s crisis center to discuss an action plan for the devastated island, which has been hit by the worst storm in almost a century.

Posting on platform X, President Macron stated that all emergency measures will be deployed to assist the inhabitants of Mayotte and to ensure the continuity of state functions. He further confirmed that all emergency services have been mobilized to deal with the crisis while stressing the importance of preparing for the future. Macron also announced that he will declare national mourning in the face of this tragedy.

At least more than a thousand civilians are missing, and hundreds are already feared dead. Local authorities warned that the death toll from the storm, the worst to hit the island in almost a century, could rise to several thousand, although the official death toll still stands at 14.

On Monday, reports confirmed that France used military aircraft to deliver life-saving aid and first responders to assist Mayotte with search and rescue efforts. Civil security personnel and tonnes of equipment were flown in from the nearby French overseas territory of Reunion.

About 800 rescuers are expected to arrive on the island in the coming days, though logistical difficulties have delayed their deployment. Mayotte’s only airport suffered damage to its control tower, restricting access to all but military aircraft and complicating response and relief efforts.

According to BBC News, Cyclone Chido made landfall on the densely populated island of approximately 300,000 people last Saturday. The storm brought wind speeds exceeding 220 kph, according to the French weather service, and ripped buildings apart. Residences, hospitals, civilian infrastructure, roads, telecommunications, and slums sustained severe damage.

Mayotte is regarded as France’s poorest department and the poorest territory in the European Union. However, it remains a target for economic migration from even poorer countries such as nearby Comoros and Somalia due to its better standard of living and the French welfare system.