A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains late last Friday, has left over 2,900 people dead and more than 5,530 injured, making it the deadliest earthquake in the North African country since 1960 and the most powerful in over a century.
Survivors, particularly those in remote areas cut off by landslides triggered by the earthquake, have faced immense challenges. Access roads have been blocked, and traditional mud-brick houses, common in the High Atlas region, crumbled without leaving air pockets, diminishing the hopes of finding survivors.
While inaccessible areas are struggling to receive relief, in more accessible locations, efforts to establish tent camps and the distribution of essential supplies like food and water are ongoing.
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People have been helping the rescue operation teams in finding people stuck under the debris and distributing blankets and bedding to people who have completely lost their homes due to destruction.
As Morocco continues to tackle the unexpected devastation, the nation's unity and resilience are being put to the test. However, Moroccans have been supporting and aiding each other and have been overcoming the calamity together while providing some optimism for a better tomorrow.
Aid from foreign countries
While rescuers from Spain, Britain, and Qatar have been aiding Moroccan search teams, offers of assistance from Italy, Belgium, France, and Germany are pending approval. France's President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his country's readiness to provide humanitarian aid in a video message, emphasizing the strong ties between the two nations.
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However, the situation has not been without controversy, as some aid organizations have expressed frustration at not being allowed to assist promptly. Arnaud Fraisse of Rescuers Without Borders, a French NGO, revealed that their offer of assistance had gone unanswered by Moroccan authorities, leaving them unable to carry out urgent rescue efforts.
