Our Planet Climate and Geopolitics
The island of Mayotte, which sits in the Indian Ocean between Madagascar and the coast of Mozambique, is France’s poorest territory, with 80 per cent of its 320,000 inhabitants living below the poverty line and a single hospital.
Last year it suffered its worst drought in two decades. Then Cyclone Chido hit over the weekend with wind gusts of 124 miles per hour – the strongest storm to hit the territory in 90 years.
Excess heat stored in oceans is driving particularly strong hurricane activity this year, according to meteorologists. “The island is devastated,” said France’s new interior minister, as France sent rescue workers and aid to the island.
The current confirmed death toll of 21 could rise into the hundreds or even thousands, officials say. Due to high numbers of unregistered migrants on the island, a final death toll may be hard to calculate.
