After a violent and deadly earthquake in Morocco, the question of international humanitarian aid arises, because the country has so far only accepted material support from five countries. The French government and several NGOs offered their services.
A magnitude 7 earthquake rocked Morocco on the night of September 8-9, 2022. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the Al Haouz region, southwest of Marrakech. The human toll is heavy: at least 2,122 people were killed and 2,421 injured, according to the latest figures from the Moroccan Interior Ministry. Many people are still missing under the rubble.
Moroccan authorities appealed for international help, but only accepted help from four countries: Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. France promised 5 million euros in aid to NGOs on the spot while Morocco did not wish to respond to this appeal for humanitarian aid from France. This refusal is partly explained, quite probably, by a tense diplomatic context between the two countries.
“I decided this morning, from the ministry’s emergency funds, to allocate 5 million euros for NGOs on site so that they can work,” declared Catherine Colonna, Minister of Foreign Affairs, at the microphone of RMC Monday, September 11. Since the G20 summit in New Delhi, Emmanuel Macron also spoke yesterday about this event: “The Moroccan authorities know exactly what we can deliver, the nature and the timing. The second this aid will be requested, it will be deployed, and we stand ready.”
Moroccan rescuers are working hard to find survivors under the rubble of the earthquake that struck the southwest of Marrakech. France is ready to help Morocco, but the latter has not yet appealed for international assistance. The Moroccan government wants to manage the crisis on its own, and it fears some foreign interference. In addition, the arrival of hundreds of NGOs could be harmful in the event of poor coordination.
Some French NGOs and associations are already on site and working in conjunction with Moroccan organizations. Others, like Rescuers Without Borders, are waiting for the green light from the Moroccan authorities to intervene. Karine Meau, emergency manager at the Fondation de France, told France Inter that “a little over a million euros” had been collected to help the Moroccan population. The aim of this call for donations is to provide essential aid because “the money that is sent will be used to buy food, water and mattresses”.
Jérémy Crunchant, spokesman for the civil protection of the Alpes-Maritimes, stressed to Le Monde that a “team of about thirty people, doctors, nurses, rescuers, dog handlers, logisticians and transmission specialists is ready leaving for Morocco.
In February, Turkey and Syria appealed for international aid after an earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people. The NGOs were then able to send volunteers and materials quickly.
Gérald Darmanin, was also questioned about French aid to Morocco: “France is at Morocco’s disposal. Morocco is a large country, which has great civil protection and is capable of responding to this kind of difficulty on its own. .”
