Displaced families endure after Morocco’s deadly quake
In a dusty settlement on the city’s edge, Abdu reflects on the harsh reality: bread is scarce and tents are essential. He has slept outdoors for days since the earthquake struck Morocco. Hebba, meanwhile, begins breakfast early, grateful to have spent a night in a tent, but fearing what the next day may bring as cold and rain approach. Neighbor Hafid notes that some tents shelter up to 15 people, a stark reminder of how many families are sharing limited shelter. Roughly 600 residents remain in this makeshift camp where the ground is dust and every corner carries a memory of what was damaged or lost after the quake last Friday. The government reports more than 2,900 dead and over 5,500 injured, a toll that weighs heavily on the community.
Hebba mourns the loss of a neighbor who died while going to buy sheets after the disaster. He also recounts how the tents are a patchwork of shared spaces, with children playing nearby and adults trying to balance daily routines with the fear of aftershocks. Some families salvage mattresses and furniture from ruined homes, while others simply endure the cold and limited resources. The urgency is clear: many need basic necessities and, crucially, medicines for the sick who survive this first week of crisis.
Abdu explains that relief funds and supplies will help only for a short period. He and other locals rely on occasional aid convoys, often arriving in cars loaded with blankets and food from other cities. Their gratitude is directed at these helpers who bring essential relief amid the devastation. The community acknowledges translators and volunteers who connect relief teams with families in need.
Panic before aftershocks
Last night brought two minor tremors that frightened many residents. The European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reports nearly thirty aftershocks above magnitude 3 since Friday’s 6.8 earthquake, with the situation shifting day by day. Rescue teams continue the search for missing persons, but many of the day’s efforts yield only more bodies.
Jalal, along with friends from Rabat, loaded a minibus with essentials, toys, pots and pans, and headed toward the epicenter region. They stop in the small town of Turkin, where about 250 families live, 15 kilometers away. Within minutes of arrival, locals gather to buy supplies. Yasin from Marrakech traveled by bus to his village after hearing the news and learned his family had survived, though their home was heavily damaged. He explains how every member of his family escaped a collapsed house and the relief at finding them alive.
Yasin now shows the remains of the half-ruined house and recalls the moment when the town’s residents were forced to abandon homes at risk of collapse. The mosque minaret bears dangerous cracks, and while an excavator arrives to demolish it, authorities ultimately refrain, choosing caution as the area assesses further risks.
The King visited the wounded
King Mohammed VI visited the quake-stricken area on Tuesday, spending 45 minutes with those affected. The king toured the Muhammad VI University Hospital Center in Marrakesh and then addressed the crisis through official channels. The visit marks the second appearance since the disaster began and follows a meeting with civil and military leadership aimed at launching an emergency program to care for victims and begin rehabilitating damaged buildings. Three days of official mourning were declared in response to the tragedy.
Official reports from the state news agency indicate that the king also donated blood as part of a nationwide solidarity wave. The response includes a campaign that has drawn an unprecedented level of donations, far surpassing normal daily figures.