The doors of the ivory van burst open. Numerous armed French law enforcement officials rush inside, while their comrades on the ground establish a human chain to begin their tasks.
The van is transporting vital supplies. Water. Small plastic bottles stacked high to the ceiling and packed densely in the van.
The scene is chaotic.
Commands are barked in French and Chimaore, the dialect of Mayotte’s African populace.
Security measures are stringent. The gendarmes are supported by armed municipal police.
Local inhabitants are irate. That fury could swiftly escalate to violence.
This is the reason a 10pm curfew remains enforced across the island. One resident characterized the atmosphere as “volcanic”.
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Short supply of aid following Cyclone Chido
Cyclone Chido battered Mayotte on Sunday, yet this marks the first water supply Ouangani has received since Saturday.
Nobody can comprehend the reason.
‘No communication and no one possesses water’
Arriving at the distribution hub just after the water is loaded onto another vehicle for delivery to nearby towns is the mayor of Ouangani, a young, former English instructor who is multilingual.
He is measured and contemplative while outlining the challenges facing his nation.
“It’s inadequate,” he conveys. “There’s no communication and no one possesses water.”
“The authorities were unprepared,” he adds. “It’s not solely a water crisis; it’s food, power. Nothing has been addressed on the island.”
He then issues a grave caution about “people starving”.
The devastation caused by Cyclone Chido
Residents voiced their outrage at the cyclone’s response
I inquire as to who he believes bears the blame. He responds that all are accountable.
“I cannot fathom that, with all the resources we possess through technology, they could not have anticipated this,” he reflects.
However, this region is not isolated. It is merely an hour’s drive southward from the capital on a single winding route.
That is the reason for the intense anger.
The individual who confronted French President Emmanuel Macron originates from this place.
“Where is our water?!,” he challenged the leader during his visit to the Indian Ocean island.
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Macron confronted with frustration in Mayotte
This delivery truck filled with water is intended to cater for three to five local communities.
This accounts for a demographic range of roughly six to 12,000 individuals. The exact number is uncertain due to challenges related to undocumented migrants.
We trail the truck to the initial distribution point.
The vehicle halts and offloads between 10 to 20 crates of 500ml plastic bottles. Each crate contains 12 small bottles. People have been congregating. The majority are women. Each one swiftly collects a pack and vanishes.
In mere moments, everything has been collected.
Some additional individuals arrive almost immediately afterward. Their frustration at missing out is palpable. “What’s the use?!” a man exclaims.
‘It’ll only last approximately one or two hours’
Fundi has been fortunate enough to obtain some water.
“We’ve only just received assistance now, I truly don’t believe that’s adequate,” she expresses.
Fundi has a family of seven and remarked that the provided water would only sustain them for a few hours
They happened to be outside when they noticed the truck arriving with the water. Pure coincidence.
“Communication is typically effective, but I cannot understand why they came without warning today,” she states.
However, it’s insufficient, Fundi clarifies: “Twelve bottles of water that are each 500ml, for a household? That’s truly very meager; it’ll only last roughly one to two hours.”
It’s no surprise, given that Fundi supports a family of seven living under one roof.
