One year on, Morocco's quake victims still wait for homes

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.