Cohesion policy funds support countless initiatives to enhance regional resilience. One notable is the PIROI (Indian Ocean Regional Intervention Platform) Centre which was supported by EUR 2,1 million under the Interreg Indian Ocean 2014-2020 cooperation programme.
Lifesaving role of the PIROI Centre in Réunion Island during Cyclones Freddy and Chido
- 18 February 2025
PIROI Centre: a pillar of regional resilience
The PIROI Centre, located on Réunion Island in the Indian Ocean, is led by the French Red Cross. It serves as a regional hub for disaster preparedness, humanitarian training, and emergency response coordination across the Indian Ocean territories, including Mauritius, Madagascar, the Comoros, Seychelles, Mayotte, and Mozambique. These areas are particularly vulnerable to natural disasters such as cyclones, floods, and volcanic eruptions. With a surface area of 900 m2, the warehouse of the PIROI Center, offers enough storage capacity to meet the needs of more than 25,000 people.
Crucial response during cyclones Freddy and Chido
The strategic importance of the PIROI Centre became evident during Cyclone Freddy, a powerful storm that hit the Indian Ocean region in early 2024. Cyclone Freddy caused widespread devastation, particularly in Madagascar, Mauritius, and Mozambique, with torrential rains, high winds, and severe flooding displacing thousands and destroying critical infrastructure. Thanks to the PIROI Centre, the region was better prepared to respond to the crisis via rapid deployment of emergency supplies, the coordination of humanitarian efforts, support for search and rescue operations, building community preparedness via trainings and awareness campaigns and the post-disaster recovery including logistical assistance for the distribution of construction materials and tools to restore homes and infrastructure.
Just a few months after Cyclone Freddy, in December 2024, Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte, causing severe devastation: flooding villages, destroying homes, and displacing thousands of families across the island. The PIROI Centre once again proved invaluable in addressing the disaster: 110 tons of emergency equipment, including housing reconstruction kits, protective tarpaulins, solar lamps that also charge mobile phones, blankets, buckets, jerrycans, soap, individual hygiene kits, warehouse tents, generators and water treatment units, from the warehouse in La Réunion, was deployed in Mayotte.
The success of the PIROI Centre highlights how the EU Cohesion Policy projects successfully prepare regions to face challenges posed by climate change.