Earthquake in Morocco: country must seek UN assistance in coming days

Morocco must seek UN help “today or tomorrow” (Friday or Saturday)” to help survivors of the powerful earthquake that killed at least 2,946 people and injured 5,674, UN emergency operations chief Martin Griffiths said Friday.

“We expect and hope – based on our discussions with the Moroccan authorities – that the request for assistance will be sent today or tomorrow, I mean (…) very soon,” UN humanitarian coordinator Martin Griffiths said during a press conference. briefing in Geneva.

He explained that once Morocco gets the green light, the United Nations will be able to participate in the assistance phase for survivors. After such an earthquake, the first phase “focuses on finding survivors and non-survivors” and “the next phase involves providing survivors with assistance, shelter, food and medicine,” he said. “I hope that in Morocco we are moving from one stage to another,” he added.

‘No criticism’ of the kingdom

Late on Sunday, Morocco announced it had accepted offers from four countries to send search and rescue teams: Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The country did not respond to France’s response, a sign of some unease between the two countries. Martin Griffiths did not criticize the fact that Morocco did not immediately contact the UN, and emphasized that “the first days of a sudden catastrophe are always marked by relative confusion.”

“So I have no criticism. We are ready to work and provide coordination support,” said a senior UN official.

“Only recently in Morocco have we moved from finding survivors to helping survivors. And that’s when help is of utmost importance,” he insisted.

The balance may have been understated

The earthquake reached magnitude 7, according to the Moroccan Center for Scientific and Technical Research (6.8 according to the American Institute of Geophysics, USGS). This is the most powerful ever measured in Morocco.

It happened on the night of September 8-9 in Al-Haouz province, south of Marrakesh, leaving 2,946 people dead and 5,674 injured, according to the latest official report released Wednesday evening. “I am sure this is an underestimation, but the authorities have carried it out carefully,” said Martin Griffiths.

This Thursday at 6:53 a.m. local time, an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.6 on the Richter scale was recorded by the American Geophysical Institute and Myearthquakealerts.com 120 km southwest of Marrakech.

Rain and cold are expected in the coming days

The earthquake destroyed many houses in villages located in mountainous areas, sometimes very inaccessible. “Recovery will take weeks, months, years, because we are not talking about repairs. We are talking about rebuilding several of these villages,” International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies spokesman Benoit Carpentier said from Marrakesh during a press briefing.

The IFRC has launched a fundraising appeal of approximately €100 million to support operations in Morocco. Survivors need shelter, mattresses, blankets, warm clothes, Benoit Carpentier explained.

“Next Tuesday (September 19), thunderstorms and rain are expected, and people are still sleeping on the streets. In the coming weeks, temperatures in the mountains will range from zero to minus 10 degrees. We have to make sure that all these people have something, a roof, some kind of roof over their heads,” he insisted. A new race against time for victims.