Cyclone-hit Mayotte: “Macron resign, you’re talking nonsense”, hecklers attack Macron

French President Emmanuel Macron has been heckled, while visiting Mayotte, which is affected by cyclones.

Diaspora Digital Media gatherred that Macron said “I’m not the cyclone, I’m not responsible“ in response to jeers and resignation calls from residents who wanted greater aid in the affected areas.

He reportedly stated that he is not accountable during the visit.

Five days after Cyclone Chido ripped through the tiny islands, he reportedly reached the French territory in the Indian Ocean on Thursday.

Rescuers are still searching for missing people, and thousands more residents lack access to water.

Macron told reporters he had extended his visit until Friday as a measure of respect, and that leaving the same day may have “installed the idea that we come, we look, we leave”.

On Friday, Macron will make additional neighborhood visits.

He added that France would commemorate a national day of sorrow on Monday and that the government would shortly send more assistance to the region.

According to French officials, at least 31 people have perished, but many more are still unaccounted for, so the death toll is likely considerably higher.

Additionally, a sizable portion of the archipelago remains without electricity.

Food and water supplies are the first issue, according to officials.

Macron claimed that during his visit, he carried four tonnes of food and medical supplies.

He said Thursday was a day he would never forget after flying over the area to witness the destruction.

The president promised to restore the damaged infrastructure and homes on the islands.

As he examined the devastated regions, they yelled “Macron resign,” “you’re talking nonsense,” and “water, water, water.”

During his visit to the Mamoudzou healthcare complex, newsmen reported that one woman told Macron: “Nobody feels safe here… people are fighting over water.”

One man at the hospital told Macron, “Your services are overwhelmed,” according to Reuters.

“Help has not reached where I live.”

Others, however, expressed gratitude for Macron’s visit and called on him to extend his stay.

It is the poorest region of France and is situated north of Madagascar.

Numerous social and economic issues plague it, such as significant rates of illegal immigration from nearby Comoros and subpar public services and housing.

It is thought that migrants were among those most severely impacted by the typhoon.

By declaring a state of exceptional natural catastrophe, administrative obstacles can be removed, enabling a quicker and more efficient response to the crisis.

It has a one-month activation time, but if necessary, it can be extended by two months, according to reports.

With wind speeds of over 225 km/h (140 mph), Chido—the strongest storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years—flattened places where people reside in shacks with sheet metal roofs and left fields of mud and debris in its wake on Saturday.

Following Mayotte, the storm struck the African continent, killing 13 people in Malawi and at least 45 in Mozambique.

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