In the aftermath of the devastating passage of cyclone Chido, Mayotte is facing colossal challenges. On the one hand, the French government is promising a massive commitment to rapidly rebuild the infrastructure and housing destroyed. On the other, it is imposing restrictions that are slowing down the efforts of those affected to find decent shelter.
During his whirlwind visit to Mayotte, President Emmanuel Macron reaffirmed the State’s commitment to rebuilding the territory over the next two years. This ambition is based on funding, such as the €800 million loan released by the Banque des Territoires, and the mobilisation of La Réunion Island’s resources, particularly from businesses and local authorities.
However, in the day-to-day emergency, the people of Mahorais who have been affected by the disaster are faced with administrative decisions that prevent them from finding an immediate solution.

Ban on ‘shanty towns’ and restrictions on sheet metal

The prefecture of Mayotte has issued an order restricting the sale of steel sheeting from 4 January to professionals and private individuals with proof of identity and address. According to the government, the aim of this measure is to protect the population from the risks posed by sheet metal, which became a deadly projectile during the cyclone.
However, the main aim of the restriction is to discourage the rebuilding of ‘shanty towns’, informal settlements where the majority of residents are living illegally under French administrative law in Mayotte. Prime Minister François Bayrou has announced a formal ban on such rebuilding, at the request of local elected representatives in particular.

Shelters destroyed and overcrowded accommodation centres

Almost three weeks after the disaster, many people are still without a roof over their heads. The emergency accommodation centres, already full, will soon have to close, leaving many families facing uncertainty. Against this backdrop, some disaster victims have taken the initiative by rebuilding tin shelters themselves. But their initiative has now been condemned by a decree issued by the French administration in Mayotte under the new measures.
This situation highlights a glaring contradiction: while France is promising to speed up the reconstruction of Mayotte, it is depriving those affected of the ability to take action to deal with the urgency of their situation.

What future for displaced people?

Paris’s strategy to prevent the resettlement of shanty towns raises a major social issue: what will become of the thousands of people who depended on them for housing, and who currently have no alternative? A modern Mayotte cannot be rebuilt if Paris and its local partners exclude some of its inhabitants from the outset. At a time when cyclone Chido has highlighted the extreme precariousness caused by the French administration of Mayotte, these measures risk reinforcing inequalities and worsening the humanitarian crisis on the island.

M.M.