EU mobilises for cyclone-ravaged Mayotte as Macron hits back at angry crowds
The European Union has responded to France's request for assistance for its overseas territory of Mayotte, devastated by Cyclone Chido, as President Emmanuel Macron told angry locals they would be "10,000 times" worse off if they were not in France.
The cyclone, which hit the island on Saturday, 14 November, destroyed infrastructure and flattened many of the makeshift dwellings in its large slums.
Thirty-one people have been reported dead, although the death toll is expected to rise significantly.
Almost one week on, there are still food and water shortages and electricity is yet to be restored in some areas, in the aftermath of Mayotte's worst storm in nearly a century.
Angry exchanges
On Thursday, President Emmanuel Macron arrived on the Indian Ocean archipelago, along with four tonnes of emergency aid. But residents say this is far from enough, and there were angry exchanges with the president.
Macron hit back at a jeering crowd: "If this wasn't France, you'd be 10,000 times more in the shit. There is no other place in the Indian Ocean where people have received this much help. That’s a fact.”
Read more on RFI English
Read also:
France pledges full crisis response as Macron visits cyclone-ravaged Mayotte
Mayotte cyclone lays bare the fragility of France’s 'forgotten' territory
Macron vows to rebuild Mayotte as cyclone survivors plead for aid
