A family mourns as they stand in front of their destroyed house Photo The New Daily
Morocco – The devastating earthquake in Morocco has tragically resulted in the loss of more than 2 122 lives and left an additional 2 421 individuals injured, state broadcaster 2M reported on Sunday. This historic tremor, the most potent in a century, had its epicentre near Marrakech, a bustling tourist and economic centre.
The earthquake occurred around 11.11pm local time on Friday, originating in the High Atlas mountain range, approximately 72 kilometres southwest of Marrakech. The 6.8 magnitude quake struck at a relatively shallow depth, intensifying its destructive impact. The strong magnitude plus the shallow depth of the quake meant regions as far north as Casablanca (approx 282 kilometres away) were affected. The earthquake is Morocco’s deadliest since 1960 when a quake killed more than 12 000 people. According to the World Health Organization more than 300 000 people have been affected by the earthquake.
International aid and rescue relief in Morocco
It is a challenge for international aid organisations to gain access to the affected areas. While many organisations, including the Al Imdaad Foundation, are eager to provide assistance, there have been complaints from Moroccans on social media that the government was not allowing outside help.
Qari Ziyaad Patel, Al Imdaad Foundation Trustee, in response to these concerns, highlighted the complexity of the situation. He acknowledged the initial chaos and confusion was compounded by the quake occurring on a weekend. This perhaps made it difficult for government officials to respond swiftly. Moreover, Morocco had not experienced an earthquake of this magnitude in recent history, leaving them ill-prepared to manage the aftermath.
“Being a weekend in Morocco most government officials may have been off etc. It was very hard for them at that point in time to make sense of the situation. Hence we give them the benefit of the doubt and we have been in touch with the Moroccan Embassy here in South Africa. We have been in touch with a few Moroccan authorities in Morocco itself. There are different factors which will affect this disaster but we are going to give them the benefit of the doubt. We have been told with all certainty that today, being the first business day, many things will come to the fore.”
According to Qari Patel, the Al Imdaad team working in the affected area has reported a limited inflow of aid into the country. Various factors may be contributing to this situation. Nonetheless, it is crucial that aid begins arriving swiftly to maximise the number of lives saved and to ease the conditions the survivors are in. Right now, the country is still in search and rescue mode with there being high hopes survivors may still be found.
“Over the last two nights, many people have opted to rather sleep outside due to the fear of there being any tremors and further earthquakes.This is just a natural human survival Instinct. Many of us would do the same as well but these people are under the elements of nature. Under the bare sky and they need help, they need assistance in the form of tents, blankets, hygiene packs etc. Emergency relief aid is being trickled in by the Al Imdaad.”
Countries that are involved in search and rescue missions
The Moroccan army has been mobilised to help with rescue efforts as well as providing survivors with food and tents. Spain has sent 56 officers and four sniffer dogs and will send a second team of 30 people and four dogs. Britain is planning on deploying 60 search-and-rescue specialists and four dogs, as well as a four-person medical assessment team. A search and rescue team from Qatar has also been deployed. However, most of the rescue operations in the remote mountain areas are being led by local teams.
Algeria, which has had a very strenuous relationship with Morocco has also come to its aid. It has opened its airspace, which had been closed for two years, to flights carrying humanitarian aid and the injured. The French government has also offered its assistance but says they are waiting for a formal request for assistance.
Speaking to BFM television, Catherine Colonna, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France, insisted Morocco had not denied France’s offer of aid even though they have accepted aid from Spain and the United Kingdom
“It’s a bad polemic, a completely misplaced polemic … Morocco has not refused any aid, that’s not how things should be presented.”
In a statement posted by state broadcaster 2M, the Interior Ministry said the country might also accept some of the other offers of support it had received “from friendly countries,” depending on its future needs.
Assessing the disaster situation
When a disaster occurs, the foundation’s teams analyse various factors, including the severity of the event and the affected region’s readiness to manage the crisis. They receive alerts about seismic activities and natural disasters worldwide, categorised by severity. This information guides their decision-making process.
“There’s a need for speed. The longer we take to get into a disaster zone, the greater the possibility of people dying. The quicker we get into disaster zones the greater the possibility of us saving lives and it’s all about saving lives …. We belong to different alert networks across the world. Every day we receive alerts with regards to seismic activity in the ground. These are categorised by a green, orange and red. Generally when there’s something which is orange or red, it requires some kind of Investigation. We will quickly analyse and assess what is happening in this area and wait for some quick reports. Sometimes it warrants a response and sometimes it does not warrant a response.”
If it is deemed that a country is not well prepared to handle a disaster, then action is taken. Al Imdaad then partners with other organisations, government agencies, and experts in search and rescue operations. They understand that no single entity possesses all the expertise needed to address complex disaster scenarios.
Coming together to help those in need
Besides international relief being coming into the country, the National Union of Moroccan Students (UNEM) has called upon the students’ university community to help victims of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades.
In a statement, UNEM called upon “all members of branch offices and all students in all Moroccan universities to visit hospitals and blood transfusion centres to donate blood for the benefit of the injured and wounded”. In response, the Settat branch of UNEM organised a blood donation drive at a regional hospital in the city. The Progressive Left Student Faction of the National Union of Moroccan Students, which belongs to the Democratic Path Party of Morocco, also issued a statement calling on all member students to donate blood, offer medical assistance to victims as well participate in fundraising activities.
À l’heure actuelle, la priorité est de fournir du sang à ceux qui se trouvent dans une situation critique. Le don de sang est la responsabilité de chacun pour sauver le plus grand nombre de vies possible. Votre aide est indispensable 🙏🏽❤️
فهاد لوقت الأولوية هي نعطيو الدم ل الناس… pic.twitter.com/a1JZ9KxN81
— Achraf Hakimi (@AchrafHakimi) September 9, 2023
Morocco’s national football team, which are currently playing international games, took a break from practice on Sunday to donate blood and also took to social media to encourage their fellow country men to donate blood in the wake of this devastating earthquake.
