Belgium will provide emergency humanitarian aid via B-FAST to Mayotte following the passage of Cyclone Chido, the Belgian Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
The aid, which will consist of 717 tents and 4,200 hygiene kits, is "essential to provide shelter and hygiene care for the survivors," the ministry said. It comes in response to a request made by France through the European Union's Civil Protection Mechanism.
"Belgium stands shoulder to shoulder with France at this very difficult time," Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin said.
On 14 December, the most devastating cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years destroyed homes and caused colossal damage in France's poorest department. Since then, emergency services have been working hard to restore essential services such as water, electricity and communications networks.
The provisional death toll from the natural disaster, bolstered by global warming, has risen to 35 while around 2,500 people have been injured, but the authorities fear the death toll could be even higher, according to French news agency AFP.
