Prime Minister François Bayrou and two senior ministers will travel to Mayotte on Sunday to assess the devastating impact of Cyclone Chido, which struck the French Indian Ocean territory on 14 December.
Bayrou faced intense criticism for attending a town hall meeting in his home city of Pau while Mayotte dealt with the immediate aftermath of the cyclone.
His office announced late Thursday that he would make a two-day visit alongside Education Minister Elisabeth Borne and Overseas Territories Minister Manuel Valls, who were drafted into his new cabinet this week.
At least 39 people have been confirmed dead and 4,000 injured following the most devastating cyclone to hit Mayotte in 90 years.
The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams sift their way through the wreckage.
Assessing the exact toll has been complicated due the number of illegal immigrants in Mayotte, especially from the Comoros islands to the north.
While Mayotte’s official population is 320,000, authorities estimate there may be an additional 100,000 to 200,000 unregistered residents.
After hitting Mayotte, Cyclone Chido made landfall in Mozambique, claiming at least 34 lives and destroying 23,600 homes, authorities said.
Ravaged forest threatens Mayotte's biodiversity, economy and food security
Macron visit
President Emmanuel Macron visited Mayotte just before Christmas to survey the damage.
His arrival at Marcel Henry Airport came hours after Paris declared exceptional natural disaster measures to aid the cyclone-hit territory.
Within minutes of Macron stepping off the plane, he was given a first-hand account of the disaster.
“Mayotte is demolished,” said airport security agent Assane Haloi. “There’s no roof, there’s nothing. No water, no food, no electricity. We can’t even shelter. We are all wet with our children covering ourselves with whatever we have so that we can sleep."
As Borne and Valls prepare to travel for their first big assignment since returning to the cabinet, colleague Gérald Darmanin outlined proposals to mark his tenure at the Justice Ministry.
During an interview with French broadcaster TF1, Darmanin, a former interior minister, outlined plans to extend police custody from 48 to 72 hours in cases of murder or serious sexual assault.
He said the additional time would enhance victim protection and improve evidence collection.
