Families rebuilding home in Mayotte complain about lack of assistance

A week after Cyclone Chido tore through the French Indian Ocean island of Mayotte, traumatized residents are struggling to rebuild their lives.

Ahmed Attoumane’s home was ripped apart by the destructive force on the cyclone. The roof and walls are gone, but his family is forced to still sleep there on makeshift beds on the floor.

A father of five children, he fears burglars and intruders. For the past few days, he and his 18-year-old son have been working to rebuild the house, salvaging what they can.

"We're suffering. There's no water, no electricity, and no candles and we don't know where we can go to the toilet. Our lives have changed, it's changed a lot. Until now there's no help."

As the island’s traumatized residents struggle to rebuild their lives, many complain about the lack of assistance.

Ahmed has been forced to borrow from friends and neighbours as they begin the job of rebuilding their home.

"We've been here like this four or five days now. We haven't seen anybody [to help], no one apart from you has come to see us," said his son Djoche Ahmed.

With the rainy season approaching, like other families, they worry they won't have the means to rebuild in time.