Following the devastating earthquake on September 8th, the Moroccan government is taking substantial steps towards the country’s rehabilitation. A specialized agency is in the works dedicated to overseeing the rebuilding of areas that bore the brunt of the quake.
On Monday, the Moroccan government announced these plans after the fourth meeting in Rabat of the ministerial committee responsible for the earthquake rebuilding and rehabilitation program. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch.
The 7.0 magnitude earthquake on September 8th rocked various cities, including Rabat, Casablanca, Meknes, Fez, Marrakech in the north, and Agadir and Taroudant in the center. As per the latest figures from the Ministry of the Interior, the quake resulted in 2,946 fatalities and injured 6,125, alongside significant infrastructural damage.
The upcoming agency’s primary role, as delineated in the statement, will be the realization of reconstruction and rehabilitation projects. It will also channel the anticipated investments in the quake-affected areas. Akhannouch emphasized the government’s dedication to utilizing all available resources during this rapid reconstruction phase, especially focusing on damaged schools, hospitals, and other essential facilities.
The projects will be funded from a special solidarity account created to manage the aftermath of the earthquake, in accordance with royal directives. The government council is expected to approve the agency’s establishment in their next meeting, as inferred from the council’s work program.
As per the “360” website (affiliated with the authorities), donations to the bank account for earthquake victims have reached approximately 10 billion dirhams (around one billion US dollars) as of last Saturday.
Following the earthquake, the Moroccan government launched a specific account with the General Treasury and “Bank Al-Maghrib” to gather solidarity contributions from both individuals and public and private entities.
Official statistics show that 2.8 million people were affected by the earthquake. A total of 59,675 homes collapsed, of which 32% were completely destroyed.
