Rabat - Brussels: Agencies - Europe and the Arabs
Moroccan King Mohammed VI decided to donate one billion Moroccan dirhams ($105.2 million), from his own money, to a fund to confront the effects of the earthquake that struck Morocco last Friday evening with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale, causing huge human and material losses.
This amount will be deposited in the special account created on September 11th. With the aim of gathering solidarity initiatives in the face of the violent earthquake disaster.
This comes after the Moroccan King, King Mohammed VI, yesterday, Thursday, ordered immediate care for orphaned children who lost their families and were left without resources due to the devastating earthquake, according to Sky News.
The Moroccan King renewed his instructions to launch a thoughtful, integrated and ambitious program to rebuild and rehabilitate the affected areas. This came during a working meeting to activate the emergency program to care for those affected by the Al Haouz earthquake.
The meeting stressed urgent initiatives for temporary shelter, especially through establishing suitable shelter centers that are resistant to cold and weather disturbances.
The government also decided to grant emergency assistance worth 30,000 dirhams to the affected families.
The Moroccan King stressed the need for rehousing to be completed quickly and to be carried out in accordance with the needs of those affected.
Direct financial assistance worth 140,000 dirhams was also provided to the homes that completely collapsed, and 80,000 dirhams to cover the rehabilitation work of the homes that partially collapsed.
The King of Morocco also stressed the need for the reconstruction process to be carried out on the basis of a book of tolerances, and under technical and engineering supervision, in harmony with the region’s heritage and that respects the unique architectural characteristics.
It is noteworthy that the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Observatory announced that the Marrakesh region in south-central Morocco was exposed on Thursday morning to an aftershock measuring 4.6 degrees on the Richter scale, which was felt by residents.
The observatory stated on its website that the earthquake occurred at 06:53 local time, at a depth of 10 kilometers.
The source had announced that Morocco was exposed to four aftershocks on Wednesday, whose strength ranged between 3 and 3.5 degrees on the Richter scale in the Al Haouz region, which caused rocks to fall that led to the injury of a satellite channel cameraman. Residents and press crews were asked to leave the area immediately.
The Moroccan Ministry of the Interior announced that the number of victims of the devastating earthquake had risen to nearly 3,000 deaths, and nearly 6,000 injured.
A statement from the Ministry stated that the competent authorities are continuing their efforts to care for the injured, shelter those affected, deliver food and health aid to them, and secure traffic on the roads damaged by the earthquake, while at the same time mobilizing all necessary capabilities to address the effects of this painful tragedy.
In the same context, the Canadian Minister of International Development said that the government will match donations of up to $3 million that were made to the Canadian Red Cross Earthquake Relief Fund during the next two weeks.
The funds help the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement with food, water and funds, as well as providing sanitation and health services, according to the Canadian Foreign Ministry. Another $2 million in federal aid will also be allocated to address immediate needs.
The Quebec provincial government pledged $1.5 million to organizations working in Morocco, while several major charities launched funding campaigns.
Director of Communications and Government Relations Miranda Gallo said Islamic Relief Canada raised about $40,000 in the first hours of fundraising.