Earthquake disaster
Fight for survival in Morocco’s earthquake zones
Mannequins lie in the rubble of Talat N’yakoub. photo
© Fernando Sanchez/Europa Press/AP/dpa
After the earthquake in Morocco, the survivors’ distress is great: they have lost everything and have to rescue their dead relatives. They also lack food and water.
Many survivors of the quake have been accommodated in a tent camp run by the Moroccan Interior Ministry in Asni, south of Marrakesh. Most people here have lost everything – including their relatives.
Fatima, for example, mourns the loss of her daughter Amira. “She saved her children from the house and then died,” she says. She is sitting on a mattress in a tent with her two small grandsons. She will now look after Amira’s children. “She sacrificed her own life for the lives of her children.”
At least 2,901 people have died so far
According to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry in Morocco, at least 2,901 people died in the quake. According to information from Tuesday afternoon, 5,530 injuries have been counted so far. According to information from the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), around 100,000 children are affected by the disaster. Thousands of houses were destroyed in the country. As a result, many families have become homeless and have to spend the currently cold nights outdoors.
The Moroccan government is under increasing pressure to accept more international aid. So far, the North African country has only accepted aid from four countries. Offers from Germany have not yet been accepted either.
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A resident of Asni, writing for a local newspaper, blames the government. “She doesn’t want the houses here to be built earthquake-proof – for fear that they might lose their charm for tourists.” That is why the region was so badly affected by the disaster.
The Atlas Mountains, with their beautiful landscape and villages built on the red mountain slopes, are a popular travel region. But according to experts, the houses are not built robustly enough to withstand strong vibrations. However, earthquakes are relatively rare in North Africa.
King Mohammed VI visited a hospital with injured people in Marrakech, as reported by the MAP news agency. The 60-year-old head of state donated blood for the victims.