Digging is ongoing, sometimes even with bare hands. Just two days after the earthquake that devastated Morocco, a race against time is underway to try to find survivors among the mountains of rubble.
The Red Cross and the International Red Crescent stress the importance of the next few hours in this delicate rescue operation.
The situation is particularly critical in rural and remote areas, which were the epicenter of the earthquake and which still remain isolated.
Rescuers are making huge efforts to reach the affected villages, where, according to initial estimates, the earthquake has caused the death of more than 1.300 people, representing more than half of the victims confirmed so far, as reported in the latest bulletin from the government of Rabat, which attests a total of 2.122 deaths.
These dramatic numbers are unfortunately destined to increase further. The winding road between Marrakech and the Atlas Mountains is blocked and damaged, and today another tremor of magnitude 3.9 occurred in the same area as the earthquake that occurred between Friday and Saturday, making the situation even more difficult.
As funeral rites begin to bury the dead, reports also come in of deceased foreigners, including four French citizens. In Morocco, a Muslim-majority country, cremation is not allowed, and Muslims are usually buried within 24 hours of death or as soon as possible.
The epicenter of the earthquake was reported in Al-Haouz province, with nearly 1.300 victims, the highest number recorded, while in the second most affected province, Taroudant, there are 450 deaths. The situation is equally worrying for the number of injured, which exceeds 2.400, with many of them in serious conditions.
In this context, while King Mohammed VI has called on authorities and citizens to pray in all mosques in the Kingdom, controversy is growing over international aid. Morocco has reportedly accepted rescue teams from only four countries: Spain, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar.
All the other rescuers present are volunteers, and this situation has raised criticism, such as that of the president of the French NGO Secouristes sans Frontières, Arnaud Fraisse, who complained about the lack of an agreement with the Moroccan government.
However, many countries are showing solidarity and offering aid. Algeria has proposed an emergency assistance plan, should Morocco accept it, despite the complex relations between the two countries.
Italy, through Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, has also declared itself ready to send aid and medical teams, as have France, Turkey and the United States.
Pope Francis also expressed his condolences and solidarity to those affected by this tragedy, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. The Farnesina confirmed that it provided assistance to approximately 500 Italian citizens present in Morocco at the time of the earthquake, with Minister Tajani closely following the developments of the situation in constant contact with Ambassador Armando Barucco.
Three days of national mourning have been declared in Morocco, with flags flying at half-mast across the country, underscoring the grief that has gripped the entire nation. Many people have witnessed the deaths of loved ones, including children, parents, and siblings.
However, the relentless efforts to search for survivors continue, and every now and then, they bring a smile to those who have been tirelessly digging for hours.
Saida Bodchich, for example, was lucky to be pulled out of the rubble by neighbors after she was trapped in her house that collapsed in the earthquake. “I was saved, they removed the debris with their bare hands,” she said. “Now I live in their house, mine was completely destroyed.”
This is the situation that many people are facing. In Marrakesh, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), there are 300.000 people in need of aid.
Thousands of families have spent the nights outdoors in makeshift camps, lined up on the grass outside the walls of the medina, sleeping under palm trees because they no longer have a roof over their heads.
Some do not want to return to their homes for fear that they are no longer safe. Noureddine Lahbabi, a 68-year-old retiree with four children, prepares to spend his second night in the open: “It is a painful experience. When it happens to your brother or sister, it is really painful.”
Article published on 10 September 2023 - 20:16
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