The earthquake, which left at least 820 dead in Morocco, sparked a surge of solidarity around the world, with several countries, including Israel, offering their help to Rabat. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “distraught after the terrible earthquake”. “France stands ready to help with first aid,” he added on X (ex-Twitter) during his flight for the G20 which takes place this weekend in New Delhi.
The head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, “learned with sadness the tragic toll of the earthquake”, and reaffirmed the “willingness of Italy to support Morocco in this emergency situation”. “All my solidarity and all my support for the people of Morocco after this terrible earthquake,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares clarified that “ Spain offered Morocco (…) both relief teams (…) but also its help for reconstruction.”
The head of the Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, “learned with sadness the tragic toll of the earthquake”, and reaffirmed the “willingness of Italy to support Morocco in this emergency situation”. “All my solidarity and all my support for the people of Morocco after this terrible earthquake,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez wrote on X. Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares clarified that “ Spain offered Morocco (…) both relief teams (…) but also its help for reconstruction.”
The United Kingdom stands “ready to help” Morocco “in any way possible”, assured the British Minister for Foreign Affairs, James Cleverly. “In Russia, we share the pain and mourning of the friendly Moroccan people,” said Russian President Vladimir Putin, presenting his “sincere condolences for the tragic consequences of the devastating earthquake”. The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, for his part affirmed to be “in solidarity with Morocco in this tragic ordeal”.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan expressed his condolences to the Moroccan “brotherly” people and offered “all forms of support to heal the wounds” of Morocco. Turkey was bereaved in February by a very powerful earthquake that killed more than 50,000 people and displaced millions in the south-east of the country.
Israel alongside “its friends”
Algeria, which severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in August 2021 in the midst of a crisis between the two countries, offered “its sincere condolences to the brotherly Moroccan people for the victims of the earthquake”, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to Alger. Morocco, which in 2020 normalized its relations with Israel, received an offer of assistance from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who “gave instructions to all government bodies and forces to provide all necessary assistance to the people Moroccan, including preparations for dispatching an aid team to the region,” according to a statement from his office. “The people of Israel (stand) alongside their friends (…) in this difficult time,” he continues.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohamed Chia al-Soudani also said he was “ready to provide any form of assistance” while King Abdullah II of Jordan ordered his government “to provide all necessary assistance to Morocco”. Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Emirati President Mohammed bin Zayed sent their “condolences” to King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people. Egypt also expressed its solidarity.
“Thoughts and my prayers to Moroccans”
US President Joe Biden said he was “deeply saddened by the lives lost and the devastation caused” by the earthquake, in a statement released from New Delhi, where he is attending the G20 summit. The United States is working to “ensure that American nationals in Morocco are safe” and “are ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Moroccan people”, said the American president.
Chinese President Xi Jinping said he was “shocked” and “expressed (his) deep sadness for the victims and (his) sincere condolences to the families”, reported state television CCTV. For his part, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared himself “extremely saddened by the loss of life”. The President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, said he was “deeply shocked” in his message of condolences addressed to the King of Morocco.
The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on X that he was “heartbroken”. “My thoughts and prayers are with the Moroccans (…). We are ready to respond to immediate health needs,” he wrote. The chairperson of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said he “learned with great pain the tragic consequences of the earthquake” while the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), based in Saudi Arabia, indicated , she, pray for “a rapid recovery for the injured”. Pope Francis expressed “his deep solidarity with those who are struck in their flesh and their hearts by this tragedy”.