The horrific damage caused by Cyclone Chido is due to decades of official neglect of infrastructure and the overt, fascistic contempt of the French government for its overseas territory.

Hundreds are feared dead after the storm razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a series of islands off the eastern coast of Africa, before unleashing its destructive force on Mozambique.

Mayotte, already beleaguered by poverty and overcrowding, was hit by Cyclone Chido, highlighting Paris's neglect of its overseas territories. The cyclone resulted in over 20 confirmed deaths and severe infrastructural damage.

Cyclone Chido brought widespread devastation to the French territory of Mayotte, where hundreds are feared dead.

French officials described the landscape in the French overseas department of Mayotte as “apocalyptic” after a cyclone devastated the island.

Residents of the capital Mamoudzou whose houses survived the storm hammered metal sheets to cover damaged roofs. Thousands of flimsier huts across the city's shantytowns were razed entirely, leaving fields of dirt and debris.

Thousands of people are waiting for aid and supplies after Cyclone Chido devastated the island of Mayotte, a French Indian Ocean territory. French Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said the death toll is still unknown but could be upwards of thousands.