In partnership with a local organization, Enterprise Sociale Maroc, ActionAid has distributed supplies to affected persons in one of the severely hit areas in hard-to-reach Atlas Mountain communities.
ActionAid is a global federation working with more than 41 million people living in more than 71 of the world’s poorest countries; working to achieve social justice and gender equality and to eradicate poverty globally.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit Morocco on 8 September 2023, causing mass deaths in mountain villages that have collapsed in on themselves.
The United Nations reported that roughly 300,000 people were likely affected by the earthquake. UNICEF said that number likely included 100,000 children.
Communities of Ait Lkak and Idjhya in the Atlas Mountains received blankets, mattresses, mats and pillows as ActionAid’s way of identifying with victims of the devastating earthquake.
Working with Enterprise Sociale Maroc and volunteers from Maroc sans Frontieres, ActionAid also distributed rechargeable solar lamps and food baskets containing milk, flour, dates, olive oil, cheese, cous- cous, tuna and water as well as hygiene kits.
A press release quotes ActionAid UK CEO , Halima Begum as saying, “Sadly, we’re already hearing stories from the Moroccan government of a rise in cases of attempted exploitation of women and girls, particularly through the forced marriage of young girls. It doesn’t matter where disasters occur in the world, they precipitate a devastating rise in violence against women and girls. But women in the affected mountain areas – along with the Moroccan authorities – are working with absolute determination to protect themselves and their loved ones. As winter approaches, there is still much, much more to do to ensure the long-term safety of women and girls here and to support them in rebuilding their lives.”
ActionAid Denmark Senior Programme Manager Tifawt Belaid, noted, “relief supplies are starting to come in, but we must urgently think about shelter as we are heading into a cold or rainy season. Most houses in the affected areas are constructed using traditional materials which are obviously not earthquake resistant, leaving families, especially women and children exposed”.
According to him, although there is now an emergency program to protect orphaned children, families will still need help to recover from the long-term impacts of the earthquake.
Meanwhile, the President of Entreprise Sociale Maroc, Ismail Iftissen, noted that the tragedy has made people lost their livelihood, particularly in the area of tourism. “The affected area is a mountainous region. It is going to take longer to recover, and assistance is coming very slowly, given the locations of some of these communities and the impact of the disaster. It’s a very vulnerable population because they were already in a very difficult economic situation”, Mr. Iftissen remarked.
