Mayotte: A French Island Devastated by Poverty before Cyclone “Chido”
The French island of Mayotte, home to approximately 100,000 people, is experiencing dire conditions after being struck by Cyclone “Chido.” This disaster has worsened the island’s fragile economy and the extreme poverty of its inhabitants.
While maritime and aerial operations continue to deliver supplies and relief equipment to this Indian Ocean island, authorities fear that thousands of people may have died due to the extensive destruction caused by the cyclone, which also resulted in widespread power and communication outages.
According to the French newspaper La Croix, most residents of Mayotte live in tin-roofed houses. The National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies (INSEE) reports that around 4 out of 10 homes are considered substandard.
Megan Oussedat, a sociology PhD candidate at the University of Rouen who has studied precarious housing in Mayotte, explains: “Generally, these homes are built with wooden poles, tin walls and roofs, and they have doors and windows.”
She adds: “Comfort levels vary; some homes have concrete or decorated floors, but only 44% are connected to water. Additionally, these houses are often built on hills, making them highly vulnerable to climate-related risks. A few years ago, landslides swept away homes and families.”
The Poorest Region in the European Union
François Hermet, an economics lecturer at the University of La Réunion, states: “With 77% of the population living below the poverty line, Mayotte is not only the region with the lowest GDP in France but also in the entire European Union.”
He adds: “Although Mayotte is extremely poor, its GDP remains seven to ten times higher than that of neighboring islands.”
Rémi Carayol, author of Mayotte, the Colonial Circle, notes that during the 1974 self-determination referendum, unlike the three other islands, Mayotte voted to remain with France, which only began investing in the island in the mid-1990s.
A Growing Population
Between 2007 and 2017, immigration from the Comoros, primarily consisting of women and children, increased tenfold.
A notable observation is that the fertility rate of Comorian women is nearly double that of Mahoran women. In recent years, over 10,000 children have been born annually on the island.
Carayol highlights that the population, which has nearly doubled since the early 2000s, has grown significantly. As a result, “even if the state invests, it is never able to meet the growing needs for infrastructure, healthcare, or education.”
On the island, where school often lasts only half a day, Mayotte faces significant challenges in educating its youth and enabling them to pursue higher education. The island also suffers from a severe shortage of doctors, teachers, nurses, and engineers, who are recruited at great expense from mainland France but leave after a short period.
Mayotte also experiences chronic shortages of drinking water due to frequent interruptions.
Hermet explains: “More than half of the population is under 18 years old, and one-third is under 10. A new classroom needs to be built every day to meet their needs.”
Currently, 48% of Mayotte’s population is foreign, with a large portion residing without legal documentation. These undocumented individuals cannot access social rights, employment, or housing.
Hermet concludes: “These are extremely disadvantaged people who have no choice but to live in tin-roofed homes without adequate protection.”
