Faced with the arrival of storm Ciaran in France, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin decided to postpone his visit to Mayotte, scheduled for this Wednesday and Thursday. This trip, the aim of which is in particular to “work on the issue of water” will therefore have to wait a few weeks.
Gérald Darmanin has decided to “postpone for a few weeks” his trip to Mayotte planned for Wednesday and Thursday, due to the arrival of major weather phenomena expected to affect France, the Ministry of the Interior and Overseas announced on Monday. -sea. The Minister Delegate for Overseas Philippe Vigier, who was to accompany Gérald Darmanin, was tasked with going to this island in the Indian Ocean to “in particular work on the issue of water”, added the ministry in a press release. .
The ministry explained this postponement of Gérald Darmanin’s trip by the arrival of the storm “Ciaran” which “will hit the Atlantic coast at the end of the day on Wednesday” and the need for the Minister of the Interior to be present to “coordinate the mobilization of all State services, in particular Civil Security”. “This storm could cause significant weather phenomena, including violent gusts of wind, submersion waves as well as flooding,” added the ministry.
Two liters of water per person
The situation in Mayotte is very delicate, this department, the poorest in France, being faced with its worst episode of drought since 1997 while its supply depends largely on rainwater. Mayotte also lacks infrastructure and investment, so much so that its inhabitants – around 310,000 – have been living since the beginning of September at the rate of free distribution of two liters of water per person per day to vulnerable people.
This measure, which initially concerned 50,000 people, was gradually expanded. The government promised in mid-October that the entire Mahorese population would benefit by mid-November. For months, access to running water has been restricted. Initially limited to two days out of three, at the beginning of October they increased to one day out of three and for 18 hours and no longer 24 hours, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.