French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Mayotte as the French Indian Ocean territory continues to reel from the devastation of Cyclone Chido, reports BBC News.
Macron landed in Mayotte on Thursday morning and said he brought four tonnes of food and health cargo with him.
At least 31 people are reported by French officials to have died, while thousands are still missing after the cyclone tore through the small islands on Saturday.
A state of exceptional natural disaster has been declared in Mayotte.
Earlier, French senator for Mayotte, Salama Ramia told the BBC that emergency food was the top priority.
"One or two shops have opened but not everybody has money to buy food, and even the shops are beginning to be empty, and so, the food for me is really urgent."
Designed specially for France's overseas territories, the emergency allows administrative barriers to be overcome in order to deal with the crisis more quickly and effectively.
It has been activated for one month, but can be extended by periods of two months if required.
"Faced with this exceptional situation, exceptional resources must be deployed to quickly restore vital services and 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 the missing.
Health workers are concerned infectious diseases could spread, as residents have reported clean drinking water shortages and shops are rationing supplies.