MOROCCO, September 10 – Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior explained in a statement that it only accepts aid from Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates in response to an earthquake that killed more than 2,100 people in the Atlas Mountains of the region.
“In this particular phase, the Moroccan authorities have responded positively to the support offered by friendly countries Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, which have offered to mobilize search and rescue teams,” the ministry stated, indicating An official. Statement collected by the Moroccan television network 2M.
Rabat justified its decision because it carried out an “accurate assessment” of the needs after the floods and “took into account that a lack of coordination in this situation could be counterproductive.”
In any case, the Moroccan Government does not rule out asking other countries for help if necessary: ”As the intervention progresses, the evaluation of possible needs may change, which will allow for the support of other friends from various countries, according to the specific needs of each stage.
In addition, he expressed his “gratitude” for the “offers of help and assistance in these extraordinary circumstances.”
send rescue and help teams
Spain has sent 86 troops, including a team from the Military Emergency Unit (UME) made up of 56 soldiers and 4 dogs that flew this morning from the Zaragoza air base to Marrakech, and a second contingent made up of 30 members of the Force Special Emergency and Immediate Reaction made up of the representatives of the Community of Madrid (ERICAM) and the four dogs of the professional search and rescue team.
An emergency rescue team from the West Midlands in the United Kingdom also left for Morocco on Sunday. “There are a lot of people in need, a lot of people waiting for us,” Saeed Mohammed Faisal Sami, British director of the Fezzan Global Aid Foundation, told the BBC in Birmingham.
“We have experience in Turkey, Syria and other countries, we know what they need. I hope the distribution will start tomorrow,” said Faisal.
Volunteer Mohammed Sameer Hussain explained that they will work in coordination with emergency response teams and Moroccan volunteers. “They tell us that now it’s just about saving lives,” he said. “When we get there tomorrow, we will have to identify the current needs and start distributing aid,” he said.
David Wightwick, head of the British NGO UK-Med, explained that the organization is also preparing to send an aid team to Morocco. The goal is to reach the most inaccessible areas of the Atlas Mountains.
“We will look at how we deliver healthcare,” Whitewick told the BBC. First, they will evaluate the possibility of deploying large field hospitals. They are also in contact with United Nations agencies and the Moroccan Ministry of Health, as well as hospitals and communities in the region.
Aid from Qatar and the Emirates
Meanwhile, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Zani ordered the dispatch of a rescue team to Morocco and the provision of emergency medical assistance, Qatar’s official news agency QNA reported.
Zani also expressed his condolences to King Mohammed VI and the “brotherly people” of Morocco. “I pray to Almighty God to have mercy on the victims and grant a speedy recovery to the injured. May God protect Morocco and its people from all evil,” he said in a message posted on X (formerly Twitter).
On Saturday, the Qatari Government contacted the Moroccan authorities to offer “all necessary assistance to the affected areas and support recovery from all the consequences of the earthquake.” Qatar Charity also announced a donation of 5 million Qatari riyals (approximately €1.28 million) and another million riyals in aid through the Qatar Red Crescent Society.
The President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, ordered the construction of an air bridge to bring humanitarian aid and other supplies to Morocco.
Specifically, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum of Dubai has ordered the dispatch of rescue teams to the region and the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area.
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