Morocco region Al HaouzThe district most affected by the earthquake spends its nights under tarpaulin and plastic roofs. Tents occupy the open spaces between the destroyed or affected houses, the most basic aid has already reached every point, but the biggest fear and the most repeated phrase is this: “Winter and rain will come soon”. A total of 2,960 people lost their lives in the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that hit these mountains, 60 kilometers away from Marrakech, a month ago.
“Overall, the situation has not changed much. We have drinking water, electricity, children go to school. People sleep in tents, but it will get harder over time, we need something to protect us from the cold. I hope that when winter comes, they will find another way for us to sleep, like sleeping in huts,” explains Abdu from one of the camps where the families live. amismatic those who lost their homes.
The people living in this barren land full of yellow, blue and white tents also built a small mosque with white tents. “This helps people relax,” this man explains. It also ensures that they don’t worry about food because they get what they need. Like many other places There are also portable toilets. Located in a high area, some of the houses collapsed after the earthquake and some became uninhabitable due to cracks.
A week after the earthquake, authorities were already making reconstruction plans. They planned a fund of 120 billion dirhams (about 11 billion euros) to get the region back on its feet. Also this Friday, The government has started providing aid to affected families in the amount of 2,500 dirhams (230 euros) per month, planned for one year.. Another element is also activated to begin rebuilding the most needed buildings, such as training or healthcare equipment. A month after the earthquake, traffic returned to normal on all roads and routes in this mountainous region, as many were affected by landslides or became impassable.
The impact of the earthquake on mental health
The scars of the earthquake go beyond material damage: “I’ve never seen these mountains move, and I’ve never heard stories of these mountains moving,” says Smail, 63, as he observes and points to the valley surrounding the quake. The small town of Azgour. “These mountains that protect us today scare us”. He recalls the moment of the earthquake with emotion: “To this day, those first images flash before my eyes and there is still the roar of the land that I hear.” He explains that when the earthquake hit his village, he was having dinner at home with his wife, and when the walls started shaking, they ran out.
This man, a farmer, says that he has lost all the reserves he kept in his house, but he says “this is not the most important thing, they can be replaced.” He doesn’t know if he’ll continue in town. afraid of landslides and the mountains around them cracking. The earthquake brought something positive: “A water fountain appeared on the other side of the mountain. We share this with the next town. “They get a third, and we get the rest, because the resource appears on our land,” he explains. He hopes this will help them, saying: “Since May, the river has been dry for several years, so our crops are scarce.”
“The people most affected by this crisis urgently need psychological support,” Médecins Sans Frontières warned in a recent statement. Fouzia Bara, a nurse from this organization, says she saw the “tremendous shock” experienced by people affected by the earthquake. He explains the following in different interviews:The thing that showed itself the most was fear and anxiety”. This NGO, like many other local and international NGOs, works in the field and supports the work of organizations and authorities.
Source: Informacion
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