Farquhar declared disaster area following Fantala |21 April 2016

Following its devastation by tropical cyclone Fantala which hit it for a second time on Tuesday and where almost all infrastructures have been destroyed, Farquhar has been declared a disaster area.

While making the announcement yesterday afternoon, the Minister for Environment, Energy and Climate Change Didier Dogley, who is also responsible for disaster management, explained that the decision taken by government will ease the release of funds locally and also from international donors in order to help the Islands Development Company (IDC) clear the island of debris and rebuild its facilities. This, after the situation will have permitted an assessment team be sent to Farquhar.  

Minister Dogley was speaking at a press conference in the presence of energy and climate change principal secretary (PS) – meteorologist Wills Agricole – and IDC chief executive (CEO) Glenny Savy. The latter has however clarified that air and sea access to the island situated 770 kilometres south of Mahé is still impossible, as the cyclone’s course indicates that it may hit Farquhar for a third time.

The disaster area has been extended to the islands of Providence and St Pierre which have also been affected by the cyclone. If Fantala has till now not hit the islands of Cosmoledo, Assumption and Aldabra, those are now threatened by the third round.

The IDC has said it remains on alert in view of an eventual evacuation of personnel from the three islands, especially as they do not have an anti-cyclonic bunker like on Farquhar.

Mr Savy has warned that if Fantala had moved east and not west after hitting Farquhar, all the Amirantes group of Islands which also include Desnoeufs, Desroches, Marie Louise, Poivre, Remire and d’Arros would have been affected. Mahé and the inner islands would also have been hit by the tail.

“This is not normal and raises ground for concern,” Mr Dogley has said, as Farquhar was hit by strong winds reaching a record of 345 kilometres per hour on Sunday night.

PS Agricole has reminded that the rise in cyclonic intensity is a result of climate change and has underlined the danger of Mahe and the inner islands being hit by cyclones, as the cyclonic belt continues to extend.

The only way of preventing this apocalyptic scenario he insists, is to ensure global warming does not exceed one degree centigrade!