France is to observe a day of national mourning after Cyclone Chido devastated its Indian Ocean region of Mayotte earlier this month.
The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, called for a nationwide recall when he visited the island last week – where he mocked some islanders who criticized the slow delivery of aid.
Hundreds, possibly thousands, of people are feared dead when Chido made landfall off the south-east coast of Africa on December 14, bringing winds of up to 260 km/h (160mph) and 250mm of rain. the first 24 hours.
People across France will pay their respects and flags will be flown at half-mast in a show of solidarity in major cities including Paris, Marseille and Lyon.
More than a week on from the storm, those who survived the storm are struggling without water, communication and electricity while rescuers try to provide emergency aid.
Mayotte, which lies between the African mainland and Madagascar, was the poorest region in France before the cyclone hit.
Chido – the worst storm to hit the islands in 90 years – flattened areas where people live in shacks with sheet metal roofs and left areas of dirt and debris.
French officials report that at least 31 people have died, but the death toll is expected to be much higher with thousands still missing.
After Mayotte the storm hit the African mainland, killing at least 94 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.
Macron pledged to rebuild the island's devastated infrastructure after his visit.
After visiting the area in a helicopter to see the destructionhe said Thursday was a day he would never forget.
During the trip it was heckled and resisted calls for his resignation from the locals who asked for more help in devastated areas.
Macron responded by telling locals: “I had nothing to do with the cyclone. You can blame me, but it wasn't me.”
Prime Minister François Bayrou said that the tragedy of Mayotte may be the worst natural disaster in the past centuries in the history of France.
More than 100,000 people are still in Red Cross shelters after their homes were destroyed.
