Surviving Cyclone Chido in Comoros: A Story of Hope and Resilience

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• In December 2024, Cyclone Chido hit Comoros and destroyed homes and crops on the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli, leaving many without food and shelter and endangering livelihoods.
• As a member of the Regional Emergency Preparedness and Access to Inclusive Recovery Program (REPAIR), a $926 million regional climate risk fund established by the World Bank in partnership with African Risk Capacity Limited, Comoros received prompt financial support and was able to distribute emergency relief to the affected families in a timely manner.
• This success has encouraged Comoros and many countries across Southern and Eastern Africa to further invest in climate resilience in order to be financially and logistically prepared when disaster hits.

“Many houses have been severely damaged, some have even disappeared entirely, leaving nothing but bare land.”

As Ali Athoumane, Chief of the village of Dzuani, in Comoros, told us of his predicament, there was a hint of despair in his voice. He had witnessed the tropical cyclone Chido crawling over the rooftops of houses he had always known. On December 14, 2024, after devastating the island of Mayotte, the cyclone hit the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli, causing floods, landslides, blackouts, and leaving families homeless. For small farmers, the impact was particularly severe: in a country where most people rely on subsistence agriculture, cyclone Chido caused extensive damage to crop. Today, months after the storm, the scars are still visible and, with the tropical cyclone season still underway, the fear of another catastrophe looms.

Nestled between Madagascar and Mozambique in the Indian Ocean, Comoros is among the world’s most climate-vulnerable countries. More than half of its population—i.e., 54.2%—lives in at-risk areas and is particularly susceptible to natural disasters. In this part of the globe, climate change has increased the frequency and severity of cyclones, torrential rainfalls, and severe droughts. These disasters have tragically impacted the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable populations already living in poverty, disrupting basic infrastructures and public services and sometimes wiping out hard-earned development gains.  

Readiness saves lives
In the wake of cyclone Chido, the Comorian authorities, with the support of the World Bank, swiftly mobilized emergency relief—food, water, temporary shelters, and emergency kits—to help the affected families. This quick reaction was made possible by Comoros’s operational and financial emergency response system, which has been built by learning from previous disasters and aims at being capable of offering timely support to the population when a shock occurs.

In September 2024, Comoros, alongside Madagascar and Mozambique, joined the Regional Emergency Preparedness and Access to Inclusive Recovery Program (REPAIR), a regional climate risk fund established as a partnership between African Risk Capacity Limited (ARC Ltd, the African insurance risk pool) and the World Bank. This program, which is backed by a $926 million envelope from the International Development Association (IDA)/International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and Global Shield Financing Facility, is supporting 12 African countries in strengthening their financial preparedness to climate disasters and enabling them to deliver prompt assistance to the populations in distress. The REPAIR program is thus pioneering a truly African disaster response system through a platform that showcases how countries can join forces by pooling funds and knowledge to address the common challenges caused by climate change.  

The recent experience of Comoros, the first country to activate the REPAIR program in response to an emergency, underscored a crucial lesson: how and when assistance reaches those in need is just as important as the funding itself. Comoros’s experience with REPAIR demonstrated that rapid, well-coordinated responses can make all the difference. The coordination between ministries, civil protection agencies, and local communities was instrumental in delivering aid effectively—whether to households, farmers, or small firms that play a key role in the recovery process.

As Country Manager for Comoros, Boubacar-Sid had a chance to witness where the help went. The reality is that no one ever knows when the next disaster will strike. But what we do know is that preparedness saves lives. Working hand in hand with partner countries, we can provide better protection for vulnerable populations and lay the groundwork for inclusive recovery.

Over the rainbow
Looking forward, cyclone-hit Comoros has been capitalizing on its achievements with REPAIR by investing in climate resilience and improving contingency planning with experts from ARC Ltd. The goal is clear: to be better prepared before the next disaster hits. This March, Comoros will share its experience with nine other African countries at a regional workshop entirely dedicated to disaster risk finance organized in South Africa. This event will be a key milestone in accelerating climate adaptation efforts by bringing countries together to discuss strategies for a more resilient and livable planet.

The road ahead is challenging, but the actions taken today will shape the future. For Comoros and many vulnerable nations, resilience is not just an option—it is a necessity. Through collaboration, innovation, and a commitment to climate justice, countries across Africa can ensure that when the next natural disaster hits, communities are not left to rebuild alone.

This story was prepared by Boubacar-Sid Barry, Caroline Cerruti, Noro Andriamihaja and Lucas Herzog. 

This story was originally published on World Bank Group website. Link here.