Mayotte families left homeless by cyclone Chido leave shelters

Two weeks after a devastating cyclone hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago of Mayotte, the atmosphere at Le Manguier school in the capital Mamoudzou is tinged with sadness and resignation.

At this time of year, preparations for the new school year are normally well under way. Instead, the families living there are having to find another place to live, with many of their homes blown away by the storm.

In the courtyard of the Paulette Henry elementary school, as Le Manguier is also known, breakfast is a meal of bread and tuna, washed down with fruit juice.

"There's no electricity here," said Mrahati Abdallah, one of the team that manages the centre. "So, we tried to stock up on nonperishable food."

Amid bottles of water, milk, boxes of biscuits and pureed fruit, town hall officials and volunteers took stock for the last time before distributing the provisions to homeless families who have spent the last two weeks at the school.