A year after Morocco's devastating earthquake in the High Atlas mountains only some 1,000 homes out of 55,000 under reconstruction have been rebuilt, according to government figures, as thousands continue to live in tents under extreme heat in summer and freezing cold in winter.
People ride a motorcycle past damaged buildings in the "Mellah", or Jewish quarter, in the aftermath of last month's deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 15, 2023. Reuters/Susana Vera
A year after Morocco's devastating earthquake in the High Atlas mountains only some 1,000 homes out of 55,000 under reconstruction have been rebuilt, according to government figures, as thousands continue to live in tents under extreme heat in summer and freezing cold in winter.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake, Morocco's deadliest since 1960, struck on Sept. 8, 2023, killing more than 2,900 people and damaging vital infrastructure. It destroyed many hamlets with traditional mud brick, stone and rough wood houses, specific to the Amazigh-speaking Atlas mountains.
Last week, locals at the quake's epicenter Talat N Yacoub protested over the slow pace of reconstruction, demanding more transparency in aid distribution and more investment in the impoverished area's infrastructure and social services.
So far 97% of households are receiving gradual government reconstruction aid, the prime minister's office said in a statement, adding that 63,800 quake-hit families are receiving a monthly state handout of 2500 dirhams ($255).
Overall, Morocco plans to spend 120 billion dirhams on a post-earthquake reconstruction plan that includes the upgrade of infrastructure over the next five years.
Economic losses from the quake accounted for 0.24% of Morocco's GDP in 2023, or 3 billion dirhams, according to a study by the Policy Center for the New South.
Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi
The Sudanese army has conditioned any broad acceptance of a U.S. proposal for ending the country's three-year-old civil war on the full withdrawal by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces from cities it has occupied, according to documents seen by Reuters.
In the year since the Sudanese army recaptured the capital Khartoum from a paramilitary force that had seized it at the outset of civil war in 2023, more than 2 million of the 5 million people who fled their homes in the city have returned.
Morocco's counterterrorism agency said on Monday it had foiled attack plots targeting sensitive sites and public security by a cell loyal to Islamic State's affiliate in the Sahel.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.