French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Mayotte as the French Indian Ocean region continues to reel from the devastation of Cyclone Chido.

Macron landed in Mayotte on Thursday morning and said he brought four tons of food and health goods with him.

French officials are reporting that at least 31 people have died, and thousands are still missing after the bike plowed through the small islands on Saturday.

A state of special natural disaster has been declared in Mayotte.

Earlier, the French senator for Mayotte, Salama Ramia told the BBC that emergency food is the main priority.

"One or two shops have opened but not everyone has money to buy food, and even the shops are starting to be empty, so the food for me is very urgent. "

Designed specifically for the French overseas territories, the crisis allows overcoming administrative obstacles to deal with the crisis faster and more efficiently.

It is implemented for one month, but can be extended by two-month periods if necessary.

"Toward this particular situation, extraordinary resources must be used to quickly restore vital services and to implement a sustainable reconstruction plan for Mayotte," said the minister responsible for overseas territories , François-Noël Buffet.

Emergency services have been delivering food and water and clearing roads, while also racing to find what is needed.

Health workers are concerned that infectious diseases could spread, as residents have reported a shortage of clean drinking water and shops are rationing supplies.

The authorities have said their priority is to get damaged water plants back up and running.

Half the area is still without power. Curfew newly imposed asking people to stay in their homes for six hours overnight to prevent looting.

Mayotte is one of the poorest areas in France, with many of the residents living in shantytowns.

The Macron administration has been criticized for under-investing in Mayotte over several years.

It has been home to 100,000 migrants seeking asylum in France and living in informal settlements. It is believed that they were among the worst affected by the cyclone.

desire - the worst storm to hit the islands in 90 years - brought wind speeds of more than 225km/h (140mph) on Saturday, flattening areas where people live in sheet metal-roofed shacks and leaving areas of dirt and debris.

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