Living among the rubble – one year after the earthquake in Morocco

Status: 08.09.2024 21:48

A year ago, the earth shook in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The damage was immense. How are the people there doing? Survivors complain about the slow pace of reconstruction.

Kristina Böker, SWR

A moment shortly after 11 p.m. on September 8, 2023 changed the lives of many people in the Atlas Mountains: the earthquake left almost 3,000 people dead, around 300,000 homeless, and 60,000 buildings destroyed or damaged. The 6.8 magnitude tremors were felt as far away as Marrakesh, 70 kilometers away. But while tourists are now strolling there again, people in the mountains are still living in tents.

“Our things are buried here, our everyday life is buried here. What should we do?” asks Zahra El Manari as she stands on the rubble of her house. A year ago, she was here looking for buried animals. She lost 17 relatives on the night of the earthquake, including her father. The small town of Tafghaghate at the foot of the Atlas Mountains was a field of rubble made up of mud bricks and belongings of people who had just eaten, slept or prayed. Almost half of the 240 residents were killed. Zahra’s neighbors now have half-finished walls and steel beams – the harbingers of a village slowly resurrecting.

Zahra El Manari and her family were already poor before the earthquake. Now that the payments from the state stop, they will have nothing left, she says.

The tent cities are still there

Zahra lives with her husband Abdelrahim, her 12-year-old son Yacine and a few chickens in a tent structure built from the relief supplies that were available immediately after the earthquake. The tarpaulins are from the state, and a private donor gave her a refrigerator.

Shortly after the quake, numerous shipments of clothes were brought by helpful compatriots. The family – like most people here – was already poor before the quake. But they got by with what little they had and were happy. “We looked after the cows and sold the milk,” says Zahra, “we were able to live off of that. If the payments from the state stop now, we will have nothing left.” Until September, they will still receive 2,500 dirhams a month, the equivalent of around 230 euros. Zahra stresses that they are grateful to the king for the help.

According to the royal family, almost 1,000 families have completed work on their houses. 1,000 out of a total of almost 60,000.

The hurdles for reconstruction are high

They have also received the first installment for the reconstruction of their house: 20,000 dirhams, about 1,850 euros. But apart from 70 square meters of foundation, nothing is visible. There is not enough money to continue building, says Zahra. They are waiting for the next payment. Only those who still have their own money can make faster progress.

The responsible state commission has just noted “remarkable positive progress” in reconstruction based on the “high instructions of His Majesty the King, Mohammed VI”: 57,805 families have received the first of four instalments for reconstruction, and almost 1,000 families have completed work on their houses. That is 1,000 of almost 60,000 families affected.

Along the main route to the Atlas Mountains, rubble lies on the slopes to the right and left of the dusty road. The road, which was partially completely buried in the earthquake, is being rebuilt with state funds. The central square of the small town of Asni – a year ago a huge tent camp with a hospital and a transfer point for aid transports – is empty again. According to government sources, the newly built health centers and schools are now back in operation – it is a bit of normality.

Fear of the next winter in tents

Abdelrahim Amehdar works for the local aid organization “Afous Afous”. Compared to the announcements made by the state, progress is very slow, he says. People often have to wait a long time for their applications to be processed. Asni is known for cold winters with lots of snow, and people have already had a hard winter in tents. “We expect things to move forward and for the state to take on its responsibility.”

Amehdar reports that there have been demonstrations as far away as the capital Rabat, but that nothing has changed. People expect to spend at least another winter in tents.

German offers of help initially rejected

International aid organizations have set up housing containers on both sides of the route to the epicenter. Immediately after the earthquake, Germany officially offered Morocco help, but the royal family declined and only accepted emergency aid from four countries – Spain, Great Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Private helpers came from many countries anyway. And the German Development Ministry has long been on the scene, offering loans to the state for reconstruction, as well as stoves and projects to secure the water supply.

Caritas International recently announced that it would increase its current aid. Gernot Ritthaler, the organization’s disaster relief coordinator, said tagesschau.dethat the Moroccan government has done a “respectable job” and has responded appropriately compared to other disaster-stricken countries, although comparisons are difficult.

His organization no longer receives targeted donations for the earthquake victims. Unfortunately, the willingness to donate drops very quickly, reports Ritthaler, especially in the case of “smaller disasters” such as this one. “Two to three weeks after the topic disappears from the media, there are hardly any donations left.”

A Glimmer of hope in Tinmel

This is also how the local people perceive it. For example in Tinmel, where one of the most important buildings in Morocco, a mosque from the 12th century, was almost destroyed in the earthquake. As were the surrounding houses. Cafe owner Mohamed Afraoui reports that international helpers come by once a month at most. Nevertheless, he is confident: the mosque is not only a spiritually extremely important place, it will also attract tourists again in the future. And then the people will be able to earn money again. A glimmer of hope.

But about 15 kilometers behind Tinmel, suddenly nothing shimmers anymore. This was the epicenter of the earthquake. A year ago, no cars could get there, and people received emergency aid from the air. Just before the town of Amaskraghijjane, a few men are standing on the street, talking desperately about everything that is missing: water, food, work.

Their village, beautifully situated on a hill, is still a reddish-brown field of rubble – the tilted tower of the mosque protrudes from it at an angle. There is not a single new wall. A year later, it looks as if the earth had shaken only yesterday.

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