French President Emmanuel Macron was heckled during a visit to the hurricane-hit island of Mayotte.
After facing boos and calls for resignation from locals demanding more aid for the stricken region, Macron responded: “I have nothing to do with the hurricane. You can blame me, but that’s not me.”
“If this wasn’t France, you’d be screwed ten thousand times over,” he added with a curse.
He arrived in the French Indian Ocean territory on Thursday, five days after Hurricane Chito devastated the tiny islands. Thousands of people have been left without access to water and rescuers are continuing to work to find the missing.
Macron told reporters that he had extended his visit to Friday as a sign of respect and that leaving on the same day might “establish the idea that we come, we see and we leave.”
The president visited affected rural communities on Friday morning and will conclude his visit by hosting a crisis meeting remotely.
He said the government would soon provide more support to the territory, adding that France would observe a national day of mourning on Monday.
French officials have reported at least 31 deaths but expect the death toll to be higher, with thousands still missing. Much of the archipelago remains without electricity.
Officials say food and water supplies are the top priority. Macron Said he brought four tons of food and health products during his visit.
After a helicopter tour of the area destroyhe said Thursday was a day he would never forget.
The president promised to rebuild the island’s destroyed infrastructure and homes.
As he inspected damaged areas, people chanted “Macron resign,” “You’re talking nonsense,” and “Water, water, water.”
“No one feels safe here… people are fighting for water,” a woman told Macron during his visit to the Mamuzu hospital center, AFP reported.
“Your services are overwhelmed,” a man at the hospital told Macron, Reuters reported. “Rescue has not yet reached where I live.”
But others said they were grateful for Macron’s visit and urged him to stay longer.
In Chingoni, an inland town west of the archipelago’s main island of Grande Terre, Macron was once again questioned about supply shortages.
The president said roads were being cleared to speed aid distribution and work would be carried out to restore phone lines.
The territory, located in northern Madagascar, is France’s poorest region. The country faces wide-ranging social and economic problems, including high rates of illegal immigration from neighboring Comoros and poor quality housing and public services.
Migrants are believed to be among the worst affected by the hurricane.
A state of special natural disaster has been declared, allowing administrative hurdles to be overcome to respond to the crisis more quickly and effectively.
It is activated for one month but can be extended for two months if needed.
Chido was the worst storm in the archipelago in 90 years, with winds of more than 225 km/h (140 mph) on Saturday, flattening areas where people lived in shacks with sheet metal roofs and leaving a trail of mud and debris.
After Mayotte, the storm hit the African continent, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.
