Volunteers in the Comoros islands are working around the clock to support survivors fleeing Cyclone Chido in Mayotte as political tensions simmer between France and the Comoros over migration.
The devastating cyclone that struck Mayotte on 14 December has created an unprecedented reversal of migration flows between the two territories, with ferries bringing survivors to the Comoran island of Anjouan.
Comorans are now offering shelter and aid to people from a territory that normally attracts migrants seeking a better life.
Many of those who died in Mayotte were undocumented Comorans, although the exact number remains unclear due to their unofficial status. At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and 4,000 injured in what officials describe as the most devastating cyclone to hit the French territory in 90 years.
Stories of survival
A third ferry arrived on Thursday at Mutsamudu port carrying 132 passengers, following two crossings on Wednesday.
After their three-hour voyage across the Indian Ocean, those on board are met by bands of volunteers gathered by the quayside handing out food kits they have prepared.
"I have tin houses that are all gone ... everything has gone," said Abdallah Rahafati, who clutched a bag holding what was left of his possessions. "Fortunately, I'm safe. I'm here. I'm alive. There's been a lot of damage and a lot of deaths, so I thought I'd better leave to save my life. My daughter decided to go to Réunion. I decided to come to Grand Comoros to join my family."
The human cost of the disaster becomes clearer with each new arrival.
Naima, accompanied by her two children and what little they could carry, said: "Over there, I wasn't safe. I had no shelter. I didn't have a roof over my head to live in with my kids. There were real problems with food and everything else. I don't have a house, I don't have anything, I lost everything apart from my documents."
Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte's biodiversity, economy and food security
Community response
At the port, volunteers work tirelessly despite heavy rain, preparing 600 aid kits each day. Their determination reflects the feeling of connection between the two territories.
"When we talk about Mayotte, we're talking about the Comoros," said Thouraya Ahmed Halid, vice-president of the Association des femmes actives de Mutsamudu, a women's charity group.
"Mayotte is part of the Comoros. So whatever happens to them there, we all feel solidarity. We have to be there to help them, to support them morally and financially."
The relief effort has drawn support from across Comoran society.
Nourou Houssam, president of the Solidarité Femme Action charitable organisation, said: "We've had a lot of people get involved. Shopkeepers, individuals, organisationst oo, who have contacted us to bring their donations. We collected everything we had in a shop and sent it to Mayotte."
Once the packages arrive, charities in Mayotte ensure the distribution of donations to those in need.
France and Comoros clash over migrants lost in Mayotte cyclone disaster
Political tensions
While volunteers focus on humanitarian aid, the disaster has reignited political debates over migration.
France's Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau has promised to crack down on illegal immigration as part of France's post-cyclone reconstruction efforts. He says he wants to deploy drones to stop boats carrying migrants from Comoros to Mayotte.
"We know very well that there is a Comoran policy of letting people go," Retailleau told French broadcaster BFMTV. "There is a form – the word is undoubtedly too strong – of hybrid warfare, if I dare say so, by pushing populations towards Mayotte to create a kind of illegal occupation. We have to change the rules."
His comments prompted a war of words with Comoran authorities.
"You can't be one of the top ministers in a republic like France and make such comments in a period of mourning," Hamada Madi Boléro, diplomatic adviser to president of the Comoros Azali Assoumani, told RFI.
"You don't... think of the dead as being of a particular nationality or colour. It's just not done."
Reconstruction plans
French Prime Minister François Bayrou will visit Mayotte on Sunday and Monday, with Education Secretary Elisabeth Borne and Overseas Territories Minister Manuel Valls, to assess the damage and oversee reconstruction plans.
While Mayotte's official population is 320,000, authorities estimate there may be an additional 100,000 to 200,000 unregistered residents, making it difficult to assess the full impact of the disaster.
And while some leave Mayotte to seek shelter, there are those who want to return.
"I live in Mayotte so I want to go home," said one woman, who was in Anjouan for work when the cyclone struck Mayotte. "I've got my family. I've got my house. I've got my job. I've been there for 10 years. There's no point in me not going home."
This story was adapted from the original version in French by Abdallah Mzembaba.
