Cyclone Chido has caused extensive devastation in southeast Africa, particularly affecting Mayotte and Mozambique. Thousands are feared dead, with reports indicating significant injury and infrastructure damage. Humanitarian efforts are critical to address immediate needs, while concerns about cholera and the broader climate impacts remain urgent.
The recent devastation wrought by Intense Tropical Cyclone Chido is alarming, particularly in the southeast African region comprising Mayotte and Mozambique, where thousands are feared dead. Meteorologist Alex Baker from the University of Reading noted that the cyclone experienced rapid intensification prior to landfall, eventually reaching Category 4-equivalent intensity. Reports indicate rising death tolls with local authorities fearing hundreds or possibly thousands may have perished due to the cyclone’s impacts.
Initial hospital reports from Mayotte confirm at least 22 fatalities and over a thousand injuries, but many areas remain inaccessible for a full assessment. The French government has imposed a curfew to restore order, while humanitarian efforts are underway, with daily deliveries of food, water, and medicine. Médecins du Monde warned of a cholera risk, stating, “It might turn into an epidemic if there is no way to ensure efficient access to water.”
In Mozambique, deaths have been reported to be at least 34, while the neighboring archipelago of Comoros has entered a week of national mourning as the death toll there is anticipated to reach into the hundreds. A report by the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs states that Cyclone Chido has impacted more than 174,000 individuals in Mozambique, alongside significant numbers in Malawi and Comoros.
The French weather service Météo-France indicated that Cyclone Chido is the strongest to strike Mayotte in over nine decades. Meteorologist Lisa Stephens noted the cyclone’s devastation is indicative of the vulnerability of small islands to climate change impacts, while tropical cyclone intensities in the southwest Indian Ocean are experiencing an upward trend due to climate variations.
While Mauritius did not report casualties, damage to infrastructure was significant, as suggested by government sources. Concerns are being raised regarding the potential influence of climate change on the cyclone’s strength, notably with Indian Ocean temperatures reaching unprecedented levels this year, according to meteorologist Helen Hooker.
Cyclone Chido has triggered widespread devastation across southeast Africa, with thousands feared missing and significant humanitarian needs arising. Enhanced relief efforts are crucial in a time when public health crises such as cholera threaten to exacerbate the disaster’s impact. The situation underscores the increasing vulnerability of communities to extreme weather events, potentially exacerbated by climate change.
Original Source: news.mongabay.com
