Faced with the economic difficulties caused by the health crisis for the most disadvantaged, the French state announced Thursday, February 18, that it would provide financial support for food aid in the overseas department of Mayotte.

"1.6 million euros will be deployed for three months in the form of emergency food checks for approximately 13,300 families in Mayotte", said in a joint statement the Minister of Overseas Sébastien Lecornu, and the Minister of Solidarity and Health, Olivier Véran.

On average, "families will receive aid of 40 euros per month for three months", according to the text.

The distribution of these emergency food vouchers will be "entrusted to the prefecture of Mayotte, in coordination with local communities and associations present in the territory", explains the press release.

"Access to basic necessities made more difficult"

Very heavily affected by the virus, the island of Mayotte had to be reconfigured on February 5, for a period of at least three weeks, following the deterioration of the epidemic situation.

The measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 "have a significant effect on the daily lives of populations, and particularly on the most precarious people for whom access to basic necessities is made more difficult", according to the text.

This emergency support for food aid is based on the mechanisms already put in place in the spring throughout France.

"Since the start of the epidemic, Mayotte has benefited from several solidarity measures necessary to support the most vulnerable people," the statement said.

"Both national measures - exceptional solidarity aid, emergency support for food aid, increase in the back-to-school bonus, support for associations fighting against poverty - and local - distribution of food packages by the fund of social security of Mayotte, in connection with the prefecture ".

With AFP

The summary of the week

France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week

I subscribe

Take international news everywhere with you!

Download the France 24 application

google-play-badge_FR