The death toll from Cyclone Chido in Mozambique has climbed to 94, authorities confirmed on Sunday. A week after the storm’s landfall, devastated communities in the Mecufi district and Cabo Delgado province are still grappling with the aftermath.
Drone footage has revealed widespread destruction, with homes reduced to rubble and trees uprooted across the northern region. Mozambique’s disaster management agency, which reported 73 fatalities earlier, updated the figure as rescue teams reached isolated areas.
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“Entire neighborhoods have been wiped out, and many families have lost everything,” said a spokesperson for the agency. The cyclone also battered Mayotte, a French territory in the Indian Ocean, leaving 35 confirmed dead. Officials fear the toll could rise significantly, with some estimating thousands of potential casualties.
Olamide Harrison, the IMF’s representative in Mozambique, warned that the cyclone’s devastation, compounded by post-election civil unrest, will impact the country’s economy. “We expect a downward revision of the 2024 growth forecast, previously at 4.3%,” he stated on Wednesday.
Angry residents in Mayotte confronted French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday, demanding immediate aid.
Cyclone Chido’s trail of destruction shows the vulnerability of Mozambique and its neighboring territories to extreme weather events, a challenge that continues to test their resilience.
