The Moroccan king Muhammad VI attended to the injured this Tuesday for a second time following last Friday’s earthquake. Survivors living outdoors or in improvised shelters across remote villages face the risk of rain over the next two days, potentially complicating recovery efforts.
Muhammad VI appeared on stage for the first time since the quake and presided over a working session with civilian and military leaders last Saturday. During that meeting, he ordered the launch of an emergency program to aid victims and repair damaged infrastructure. Three days of official mourning were declared in response to the disaster.
On Tuesday the monarch visited the University Hospital Centre in Marrakesh, meeting many of the injured admitted there. He also reviewed facilities with medical staff and observed units in operation. People were urged to donate blood to assist the earthquake victims in the southern mountains near the city, as official tallies reported 2,901 dead and 5,530 injured to date.
According to the MAP agency, 2,171 people were injured in the Marrakesh region, with 484 in serious condition across various health centers. All but 248 have been discharged so far.
Health Minister Khalid Ait Taleb told national television that 75 patients remained in intensive care in hospitals nationwide in the wake of the earthquake. While accompanying the monarch on a visit to the Marrakesh hospital, he said the focus would shift to treating those most affected. He also noted that some of the injured, who were breadwinners in farming households, had lost limbs during the disaster.
The earthquake, which occurred last Friday, stands as one of the most devastating events in the country’s recent history. It struck the Marrakech-Safi, Souss-Massa, and Draa-Tafilalet regions in the south, with a lower impact in the Beni Mellal and Casablanca regions.
fear of rain
Four days after the quake, survivors fear upcoming rains. The national meteorological service warns that precipitation may begin in the High and Middle Atlas this Wednesday and continue Thursday and Friday, especially in Al Haouz and Taroudant, the most affected areas. Such rain could trigger landslides, turn fallen mudbricks back to mud, and worsen conditions for thousands who have lost homes.
In these mountainous zones, heavy rain can trigger slope collapses, floods, and flash floods that sweep away trees, roads, vehicles, and even homes along their path.
international aid
International rescue teams that arrived to aid Morocco have, as before, faced immense challenges. A Spanish NGO, United Firefighters Without Borders, has expressed near certainty that locating survivors under rubble becomes extremely unlikely four days after such events.
The Military Emergency Unit continues its mission to recover bodies, with recent operations in Talat Nyakoub, a location among the most inaccessible in the affected Atlas region.
Spain remains one of four countries from which Morocco has accepted rescue assistance, alongside the United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Other nations, including France, extended offers, though Rabat did not escalate the level of involvement this week; discussions continued among policymakers and commentators about the best path forward.
Algeria also declined to participate in the humanitarian response, stating it would not cooperate with Morocco’s Civil Protection and Red Crescent units, which include three military aircraft and 93 responders.