France ramped up its relief operations to its cyclone-devastated overseas territory of Mayotte, with 120 tonnes of food due to be distributed on Wednesday to a population at risk of hunger and disease.

An overnight curfew goes into force Tuesday evening as Mayotte struggles to recover from Cyclone Chido, the strongest storm to hit the French Indian Ocean archipelago in 90 years.

Hundreds are feared dead after the storm razed entire neighborhoods in Mayotte, a series of islands off the eastern coast of Africa, before unleashing its destructive force on Mozambique.