New Caledonia is still in a quasi-insurrectional state, more than three days after the start of the riots linked to the thawing of the electoral body. All access to the capital and its suburbs is still cut off and clashes between rioters and police continue. Two police officers were killed. The riots also worry the economic world. With the damage to hundreds of businesses, many are sounding the alarm: the amount of damage would be very high.
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In New Caledoniahundreds of businesses and businesses were looted and shortages are starting to be felt. It is difficult for the moment to give a precise estimate of the number of businesses destroyed in the riots. Xavier Benoist, president of the federation of industries of New Caledonia, speaks of damage amounting to several hundred million euros.
Overall, for industry as for other economic sectors, we are in the process of flattening the New Caledonian economy. All sectors combined, in greater Nouméa, we have around 200 businesses which have been destroyed, either looted or burned. We have initial estimates which allow us to tell us that this represents in direct employment approximately 2000 jobs which have already been destroyed in the Pacific franc. That’s billions of peaceful francs worth of destruction. It would take years of reconstruction. We have gone back 40 years today on our economic and social model. We knew it had to be reformed, but now we have destroyed everything or almost everything and we will soon be on a pile of ashes. I am not sure that we will recover if we do not have the capacity to support us.
“This represents in direct employment approximately 2,000 jobs which have already been destroyed,” estimates Xavier Benoist
Entrepreneurs are all the more worried as another much more pressing problem begins to arise: that of lack of food. “ There are large areas where there is nothing left or it has been looted. We’re going to run out of food here. Is there an emergency plan? We are not there yet, but there is a supply problem which is a serious problem and which will have to be resolved », evokes Louis Le Franc, High Commissioner of the Republic in New Caledonia during a press conference.
A problem that must therefore be resolved, in particular by removing the blockades erected on major roads to allow the passage of foodstuffs.
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“ We try to protect our family »
Phones in hand, in a deserted parking lot in the city center, three students photograph the only cars that remain all on fire. If they took their courage in both hands to travel the three kilometers that separate the campus from the center, it is because they are looking for something to eat, says Henri. “ We went through the squats in our towns to try to see what fruit trees there are. We tried to find something to eat. This is where we were informed that there were distributions. We decided to go there », says on the microphone of our correspondent in Nouméa Charlotte Mannevy.
The explosions ring out. They come from the entrance to the city, where the entire popular district of the Vallée du Tir is in the grip of insurrection. In the background, far from the clashes, Gabriel and his friends, boys and girls, set up a barricade. They feel like a target, after the death of three young people, killed by individuals. “ We try to protect our family and the people in the neighborhood. This is to prevent the militia from entering. After the police, we’re used to it. These are things that happen. There is war, for me it is a fight without weapons. Some have gone a little too far into the combat delirium », he adds.
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Supply the island with food and medicine
Tensions between communities do not prevent solidarity from being expressed. Marc lives temporarily just behind the dam, he came to ask for a service. “ I’m from Vanuatu, but I came here for my wife to give birth. But we didn’t expect this to happen. She is expected to give birth within two days. We chat a little with the young people to see how we are going to spend this night. Since there are roadblocks, they will be able to accompany us because they know the young people on the road to get through the roadblocks “, he declares.
The State has promised the establishment of an airlift to supply the island with food and medicine.