CONTEXT
- On September 8, 2023, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake and its aftershocks resulted in the deaths of 2,946 people and injury to nearly 5,700 others in central Morocco, with the highest number of casualties recorded in Marrakech-Safi Region’s Al Haouz Province and Souss-Massa Region’s Taroudant Province, the Government of Morocco (GoM) and international media reported. The earthquake and aftershocks displaced more than 500,000 people and damaged or destroyed nearly 60,000 houses between September 8 and 14, 2023, according to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the International Medical Corps.
- During 2024, USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) continued supporting earthquake response activities to address ongoing humanitarian needs in the Al Haouz, Chichaoua, and Taroudant provinces, including providing first aid in community shelters, distributing relief commodities, and providing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services to earthquake-affected individuals following the initial search and rescue phase of the response. The earthquake’s widespread destruction to houses resulted in survivors temporarily sheltering in open areas and makeshift shelters, with many displaced individuals remaining vulnerable to the summer heat and winter cold as of September 8, 2024, according to international media. In response, USAID/BHA partners continued to distribute shelter-related commodities, including shelter kits and tools to repair and reinforce tarps and tents, between September 2023 and June 2024.
ASSISTANCE
- In collaboration with the GoM, USAID/BHA supported earthquake response efforts in FY 2023 and FY 2024 by providing more than $970,000 to meet humanitarian needs—including emergency shelter and WASH—among communities severely affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks.
- With USAID/BHA support, IFRC provided earthquake-affected communities in Marrakech-Safi with immediate shelter support, including the distribution of emergency materials—such as local timber, plastic sheeting, and tools—for lightweight roof repairs; improvements to flood protection and drainage infrastructure; and winterization improvements, such as replacing low-quality temporary shelters and providing heaters and blankets. However, shelter needs persisted as many families had been unable to begin shelter repairs as of June 2024 due to construction costs, demolition challenges, and the lack of available skilled technical supervision, according to IFRC. In response, IFRC began installing Transitional Shelter Units (TSUs) to address medium-term housing and communal space needs while reconstruction and repairs were ongoing and had installed 169 TSUs in target communities—71 in Taroudant, 48 in Chichaoua, and 49 in El-Haouz—as of June 2024.
- IFRC reached nearly 23,200 people across Marrakech-Safi with relief commodities, including hygiene kits, kitchen sets, and water containers, and distributed 4,041 dignity kits—consisting of cleaning items, clothing, and sanitary pads—to address the needs of earthquake-affected women and girls between November 2023 and June 2024. IFRC also delivered WASH support in the Marrakech-Safi region through the construction of communal and household water infrastructure—including 151 latrines, 131 showers, and 167 water points—as well as education on the safe and effective use of W ASH facilities and resources, emergency water treatment and distribution, and rehabilitation of wastewater treatment infrastructure.
- USAID/BHA partner the Moroccan Red Crescent Society (MRCS) also engaged in earthquake response efforts in Marrakech-Safi, evacuating people from damaged buildings and helping transport injured patients to hospitals, as well as providing dignified burial management and first aid and psychosocial support. MRCS supported earthquake- affected individuals with emergency relief supplies—distributing blankets, hygiene kits, sleeping bags, and tents, as well as safety items such as helmets and safety vests.