On Thursday, Morocco made the announcement that it would begin a relief effort to assist and rehouse the occupants of the approximately 50,000 buildings that were destroyed in the earthquake that occurred one week ago.
Since it struck on Friday in the Al-Haouz province, which is located south of the tourist hotspot of Marrakesh, the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that was Morocco’s largest ever has resulted in the deaths of about 3,000 people and the injuries of more than 5,600.
According to a statement released by the royal office after a meeting that King Mohamed VI presided over, “Those who have been rendered homeless will be offered temporary housing in “structures designed to withstand cold and bad weather, or in reception sites equipped with all the necessary amenities.” Additionally, the Moroccan government has ordered 30,000 dirhams, or almost $3,000, in emergency aid to be given to homes affected by the disaster.
It was stated that this would be the first stage of a scheme that would cover around 50,000 homes that had collapsed completely or partially as a result of the earthquake.
It is unknown how many people have been displaced as a result of the earthquake that struck the Atlas Mountains region of Morocco. The quake destroyed entire communities in the region.
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The royal administration stated that 140,000 dirhams, which is equivalent to around $13,600, would be allotted for the reconstruction of homes that had fully fallen, in addition to 80,000 dirhams for the reconstruction of structures that had only partially collapsed.
Morocco has welcomed search and rescue teams from Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates, but the country has turned down offers of assistance from a number of other countries, including the United States of America, France, and a number of countries in the Middle East.
Imi N’Tala can be found tucked away in the Toubkal Mountains at an elevation of more than 1,400 meters. The buildings in the town are strung out along the length of a winding and narrow road that offers spectacular views of the High Atlas mountain range.
The 400-person community’s survivors claim that more than 84 people, including 20 children, died as a result of the severe earthquake that reduced the village to a field of rubble and filled it with the foul smell of death. Among the victims of the earthquake were also a number of elderly people.
On Wednesday, searchers were able to bring out one of the bodies, but they were still looking for the other five victims. Youssef At Raiss, 11, who was in the family tent at the time, recalls how “the house fell” not too far away from them.
“We were stuck under the debris,” recalls the youngster, whose parents were somewhere else when the earthquake struck. His brother Zakaria, who is also present and is thirteen years old, chimes in and says, “We were with our grandmother; it was like a nightmare.”
The two young men have suffered the loss of their grandma, and their younger brother, who is 16 years old, is still being treated in the emergency room at Marrakech University Hospital.
