Earthquake in Morocco: how aid is organized for survivors, ten days after the disaster

It is still time to care for survivors, ten days after the earthquake which struck Morocco and caused the death of more than 3,000 people. The earthquake destroyed 50,000 homes, leaving more than 300,000 people homeless. To provide them with shelter, the government delivered tents to each affected family and announced the launch of an emergency plan on Thursday, September 14. Numerous associations on the ground also provide support to civil protection and the Moroccan armed forces. “There are several priorities: the distribution of tents, blankets, warm clothes and mattresses,” lists Benoît Carpentier, spokesperson for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), on site for eight days. But several constraints hamper the work of the emergency services.

A race against time is launched to shelter the victims before the arrival of cold and bad weather. “We expect temperatures close to zero within three weeks,” worries the spokesperson for the association. Rain is also forecast in the coming days which could complicate things. It can lead to landslides, rocks will once again block the roads and isolate people who are already isolated. Because isolation is the other challenge facing emergency services, due to the topography of the Atlas landscape. “Some villages affected by the earthquake are very isolated in the mountains. The roads to access it are too narrow to be used with vehicles. The local authorities therefore transport the aid on the backs of donkeys, which takes more time, says Benoît Carpentier.

Despite these difficulties, the supply of food and medicine is going smoothly. “We had an incredible outpouring of solidarity, especially at the national level,” rejoices the IFRC spokesperson. But if food stocks are abundant today, “they are starting to diminish”. Access to water in cities was disrupted by the earthquake but “we are considering setting up a purification system for long-term accessibility”.

Beyond humanitarian aid, psychological support is “just as important”, assures Benoît Carpentier. The local population is traumatized by the earthquake. Patrick Villardy, president of the Light Intervention and Rescue Unit (ULIS), who was in a village in the Amizmiz region (south of Marrakech) until Saturday, remembers a striking scene. “An aftershock was felt a few days after the disaster causing a rock to fall. People were so scared that they ran at full speed. Four people were injured in their rush,” he laments. Benoît Carpentier met locals who “prefer to sleep outside or in their car because they are afraid that their house will collapse at the slightest noise”.

Like their parents, the children are marked by the tragedy. “Moms told me yesterday that their children are having nightmares and are still very shocked,” says the IFRC spokesperson. In order to psychologically support Moroccans, teams are sent to the villages: “They sit down with the communities to talk and relieve the trauma,” he continues. According to Unicef, 100,000 children were affected by the earthquake. The Moroccan Ministry of Education also reports that 530 schools and 55 boarding schools were damaged, interrupting classes for a large number. “They went back to school yesterday,” informs Benoît Carpentier. Large tents were sent to accommodate the classes and for the children to return to normal life.”

All the French rescuers on site contacted by Le Figaro agree that the Moroccan government controls the management of humanitarian aid in its country. “Each region and each city has its own branch where the authorities identify the information and needs of affected families,” says Benoît Carpentier, who works closely with them. “I have never seen such responsiveness from a government,” remarks Patrick Villardy, used to earthquakes and who intervened in Turkey last February. Morocco had, however, been strongly criticized for not having requested international humanitarian aid and accepting the outstretched hands of different countries, including France. Only Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were able to travel to Morocco to provide assistance.

Among the government's actions, the cabinet of King Mohammed VI announced in a press release a first version of an emergency rehousing plan on September 14. It consists on the one hand of “temporary rehousing actions”, with the sending of tents and mobile homes, and on the other hand of financial assistance. In total, 500 million euros in aid will be deployed, with more than 2,700 euros for each household whose housing has been affected. More than 12,700 euros will be awarded to families whose houses have been completely collapsed. On Monday, September 18, a new meeting of the royal cabinet was held in order to identify “completely and partially collapsed housing”, specifies another press release. “This multi-dimensional program will mainly mobilize the own financial resources of the State and public organizations, and will also be open to contributions from private and associative actors,” it is added.

The future and long reconstruction of these homes was also on the agenda of this meeting. These buildings, built with earth and straw, have no foundation and do not comply with anti-seismic standards. The question of a similar reconstruction then arises. According to the press release, the government only affirmed that these establishments will be rebuilt “in harmony with the heritage and architectural characteristics of each region”.