Emmanuel Macron was sly during his visit to Mayotte

French President Emmanuel Macron was injured during a visit to cyclone-hit Mayotte.

Faced with boos and calls for his resignation from local residents demanding more aid in the devastated areas, Macron responded by telling locals: “I am not a cyclone. I am not responsible.”

It arrived in French Indian Ocean territory on Thursday, five days after Cyclone Chida tore through the small islands. Thousands of people do not have access to water, and rescuers continue to search for missing people.

Macron told reporters he had extended his visit to Friday as a sign of respect and that leaving the same day could “establish the idea that we come, we look, we leave.”

On Friday, Macron will visit other districts. He said the government would soon send more support to the area, adding that France would observe a national day of mourning on Monday.

French officials say at least 31 people have died, but the death toll is expected to be much higher, with thousands still missing. Much of the archipelago is also still without electricity.

Officials say food and water supplies are a top priority. Macron said he brought four tons of food and medical supplies with him on his visit.

After that, they toured the region by helicopter to see destructionhe said Thursday was a day he’ll never forget.

The president promised to restore the destroyed infrastructure and houses on the islands.

People shouted “Macron resign”, “you are talking nonsense” and “water, water, water” as he inspected the damaged areas.

During his visit to Mamoudzu Hospital Center, AFP reported that one woman told Macron: “No one feels safe here… people are fighting over water.”

“Your services are overwhelmed,” one person at the hospital told Macron, according to Reuters. “Where I live, help has not arrived.”

But others said they were grateful for Macron’s visit and urged him to stay longer.

The territory located north of Madagascar is the poorest part of France. It suffers from widespread social and economic problems, including high levels of illegal immigration from neighboring Comoros and poor housing and public services.

Migrants are believed to have been among those worst affected by the cyclone.

An extraordinary natural disaster has been declared, allowing administrative barriers to be overcome for a faster and more efficient resolution of the crisis.

It has been activated for one month but can be extended for two months if needed.

Chida – the strongest storm to hit the archipelago in 90 years – brought winds of more than 225 km/h (140 mph) on Saturday, leveling areas where people live in metal-roofed shacks and leaving fields of mud and debris .

After Mayotte, the storm hit the African mainland, killing at least 45 people in Mozambique and 13 in Malawi.