Spain, Great Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. But not France. After the devastating earthquake which left at least 2,681 dead in the Marrakech region, Morocco announced on Sunday that it had accepted the support of only four countries, rejecting the hand extended by Emmanuel Macron. Another sign of the cold between the two countries? Morocco “is alone in a position to determine what its needs are and the pace at which it wants responses to be provided,” Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna said on Monday.
This vagueness did not prevent certain teams of volunteers from flying out on Sunday to offer their help. The National Civil Protection Federation is ready to send a large contingent of thirty people and equipment “when the needs have been clearly identified”, explains its spokesperson Jérémy Crunchant.
Are you part of the associations already there?
We sent two observers on Sunday with the agreement of the local authorities. They were received on their arrival at the airport by the Moroccan Civil Protection and the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior. The dialogue goes well. They immediately directed them towards local NGOs in the Marrakech sector but, for the moment, nothing has been decided. Our volunteers are evaluating, analyzing the situation and above all defining what would be most appropriate, how our intervention would be most effective.
Does the political situation affect you?
This is not the aspect that blocks us. We are not the French state at all. The advantage we have in this case is that Civil Protection is not a government agency. We are talking well with the Moroccan authorities. But for now, it is necessary to evaluate the needs and the very definition of the mission, its sector, its configuration. We are waiting for technical data. Our observers might also tell us that we can all go home. But a team of thirty people is in any case already mobilized near Roissy. Our departure may be imminent, in the coming hours. Legally, we are ready. Everything is ready. We just have to be sure of what we are going to do about it. If we go there.
What are the lifts at the moment?
There are a lot of people outside, on the street. And this is obviously an area of work. We are considering the possibility of sending emergency accommodation solutions.
What other human and material resources could be sent?
Among the 30 volunteers ready to leave, some have medical skills, there are nurses, rescuers, clearance specialists, a dog handler. We also have people who have technical skills, particularly in the field of transmissions. Everything is planned so that we can continue to communicate in the event of an aftershock. Large quantities of medical and rescue equipment have obviously also been prepared.