Responding, recovering and rebuilding after the devastating cyclone in Mayotte

As Mayotte was used to receiving cyclone warnings but never actually being affected, the population and the authorities were caught off guard when Cyclone Chido struck the island. In its wake, nothing was functioning: no water, no food, no electricity, no means of communication, and public infrastructure lay in ruins. Once the initial shock had subsided, a crisis management team was set up, led by the mayor and the Chief Executive of Mamoudzou City Council, with the help of a skills-based volunteering consultant. Task forces with a high degree of decision-making autonomy were set up to resolve the countless problems that arose; they then gradually handed over to the administrative departments as these got back up and running. A year on, however, the funds promised for reconstruction have still not arrived. The slums, on the other hand, were back on their feet within a few days…