SOS Morocco

UPDATE 16.09.2023

What aid are we currently providing?

 "The earthquake started at exactly 11:04 p.m. Everything was calm and suddenly we heard a noise, like an explosion, and the ground started shaking. We all ran outside," says Hallaoui Abdelaziz, a retired French teacher and resident of the Regrega neighbourhood in Amizmiz. His house still stands, but it is damaged.

 He recalls that after the tremors stopped, there was no electricity or internet access, dust was rising everywhere, fumes were coming from under the ground. Residents stayed away all night, only returning to their neighbourhood in the morning. They found demolished buildings, rubble and people buried within them. "A house is just a structure. What we care about are the people, not the buildings. Buildings can be rebuilt," he adds. 

We are bringing aid to the rural area around the village of Amizmiz, in Tizfrite in the High Atlas Mountains. Of the 500 houses there, all were damaged and some were destroyed. Residents are now staying in temporary shelters, such as tents, and many people are injured. The most important thing now is to protect them from the cold and rain and to provide them with sanitary products. Psychological care is also important - many people are experiencing trauma, especially since there have been aftershocks in the area. 

Over 500 schools were damaged across the region. Therefore, in Falghous, we are funding the purchase of equipment for a temporary learning space where teachers from the damaged local school will conduct lessons. The equipment will include chairs with desks for the children, teaching aids such as books and games, as well as a blackboard, a desk for the teacher and carpeting to cover the floorboards. The site will also be equipped with latrines. It will accommodate 60 children.

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More than 2,900 people were killed and more than 5,500 injured in a powerful earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale that occurred in western Morocco. The number of casualties may be significantly higher, as many people are still trapped under the rubble or out of contact.

Residents of towns and villages in the foothills of the High Atlas Mountains were most affected, and the tremors were also strongly felt in Marrakech, the country's fourth largest city. Many buildings have been damaged or destroyed and roads to towns higher up in the mountains may be impassable.

Our immediate response team will reach the region most severely affected by the disaster. Thousands of people in hard-to-reach mountainous areas may need support. We need to start helping as soon as possible - every day counts in such a situation.

Fot. FADEL SENNA/AFP/East News

Strong aftershocks may occur in the coming days, which could deteriorate the humanitarian situation in the region as well as the possibility of reaching those in need.

The most urgent needs are to provide safe shelter - many houses have been destroyed or are in danger of collapsing - as well as food, drinking water, blankets or hygiene items. Temperatures in mountainous areas, especially at night, are very low, so access to warm shelter is paramount.

The situation on the ground is very dynamic at the moment, so we will inform you regularly about further details of our assistance.

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