Cyclone Chido

Intense cyclone Chido hit the island of Mayotte on Saturday 14 December with devastating winds. Throughout the island, gusts exceeded 180 kph, and even exceeded 200 kph in the eye of the cyclone.
At least 22 people had died by 18 December.

In the aftermath of the cyclone, material damage was extremely extensive, affecting housing, transport infrastructure, healthcare and administrative services, and the drinking water network. In terms of telecommunications, around 80% of sites are out of service due to destruction or the unavailability of electricity.

TSF Mission

The TSF team arrived in Mayotte on 22 December and is implementing mobile connectivity operations in various disaster-stricken communities on the island's north and north-west coasts.

Difficulties in supplying, transporting and accessing electricity have been a daily reality for the inhabitants of Mayotte since the passage of cyclone Chido. Although the electricity network is gradually being restored, most people in Mayotte did not have access to electricity on Tuesday 24 December, a further factor restricting access to means of communication.
In this difficult situation, and after such a traumatic experience, the few hours of free Wi-Fi open to all represent a major psychological support for those affected.

Yassira, a resident of Tsingoni, told our team about the difficulties caused by the lack of a network:
‘In the first few days, everyone was focused on: who's alive? (...) [In the days after the cyclone], we went round to see if there was a network. (...) But [in the capital], you have to be able to get there! I know people who walked all the way to Mamoudzou or Iloni to find a connection point and reassure their families’.

TSF teams conducted daily mobile operations in the most affected areas (North and West regions of the island). Conducted jointly with Mahoran associations and NGOs, these operations paid particular attention to the most deprived communities living in precarious housing. As of January 5, after 21 operations, more than 1,500 families were able to reconnect with their loved ones on TSF's free Wi-Fi, and more than 230 people were able to make a priority voice call.