Last December, the powerful cyclone Chido struck the French overseas territory of Mayotte in the Indian Ocean, destroying buildings and homes and causing deaths and injuries.

There was a prompt response to the emergency by Ordre de Malte France first-aiders, who have been on the island of Mayotte since 21 December 2024. Together with other authorised civil protection associations such as the French Red Cross, some twenty rescue workers, including doctors and nurses, are taking turns to provide relief to the local population.
“It was a very enriching human experience,” say Timothée and Guilhem, two Ordre de Malte France workers, explaining they have had to face situations that made them “better at responding to humanitarian emergencies,” when facing “blackened landscapes and shanty towns practically razed to the ground”.

The two relief workers immediately made contact with the French Red Cross teams to join forces and at the end of December they set up a first-aid post in the French Civil Protection field hospital (Sécurité Civile).

In the Sécurité Civile tent, managed by Ordre de Malte France, first-aid is provided to the injured and medical consultations and follow-ups are also offered. Between 90 and 120 people are accepted daily for six hours. In addition to healthcare, the staff of Ordre de Malte France are also engaged in giving social and logistical support to those affected by the emergency.