Algeria offers Morocco aid plan, as rescue teams hasten operations

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies + Al Mayadeen
10 Sep 2023 18:30

Troops and emergency services scramble to reach remote mountainous villages where victims are still feared trapped following the 7.2-magnitude quake that struck Morocco.

A picture taken from the Moroccan region of Oujda shows Algerian border guards patrolling along the border with Morocco on November 4, 2021 (AFP)

Algeria presented an emergency plan to help the neighboring Moroccan people affected by the violent earthquake that struck the country.

In a statement, the Algerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that Algeria is offering an emergency assistance plan if accepted by the Kingdom of Morocco.

It added that the plan comes within the framework of the emergency logistical and material assistance that Algeria is preparing to provide to the brotherly Moroccan people to confront the effects of the violent earthquake.

According to the statement, the assistance would include sending to Morocco a civil protection intervention team consisting of 80 specialized people, as well as a technical team specialized in searching under the rubble and a medical team.

The plan also includes providing those affected by the earthquake with humanitarian aid, including first aid, mattresses, and tents.

It is noteworthy that on Saturday, Algeria announced the suspension of its two-year ban on flights to Morocco, allowing aircraft carrying vital humanitarian aid to pass through its airspace.

Algerian authorities have officially declared their willingness to open their airspace to flights carrying humanitarian aid and the injured from the earthquake. With this move, Algeria U-turns on its decision to close its airspace to all Moroccan aircraft in September 2021 when diplomatic ties were severed due to political disputes.

A statement from the President's office emphasized that Algerian authorities are fully prepared to offer humanitarian assistance and mobilize all necessary resources in solidarity with the people of Morocco, should such assistance be requested.

In a prior statement, the Algerian Foreign Ministry expressed sincere condolences to the brotherly Moroccan nation for the earthquake victims, underscoring the spirit of unity and compassion during this challenging period.

Several humanitarian organizations and relief agencies in Algeria have also initiated grassroots campaigns to support Moroccans at these critical times.

Among these organizations was the al-Barakah Society, which launched an immediate solidarity campaign aimed at collecting medicines, blankets, food supplies, and financial assistance for the Moroccan people.

In the same context, Spain sent 56 rescuers and four search dogs to Morocco after receiving a formal request for help from Rabat.

An A400 military plane took off from a base in the northeastern city of Zaragoza with the team bound for Marrakesh to "help in the search and rescue of survivors of the devastating earthquake suffered in our neighbouring country," the Spanish Defense Ministry said in a statement.

Spain is preparing to send a second plane with a rescue team run by the regional government of Madrid, Defense Minister Margarita Robles added during an interview with Spanish public television.

The rescue team, which departed on Sunday, belongs to Spain's Military Emergencies Unit (UME); a body of the armed forces that was created to intervene quickly in emergency situations such as forest fires, floods, and earthquakes.

They are equipped with tools to drill and cut reinforced concrete, as well as the means to detect toxic or explosive substances to ensure rescue teams work in safety, the Defense Ministry statement said.

Other countries have also pledged humanitarian aid, but Morocco would first need to formally request assistance, a step required before foreign crews can deploy.

This comes as earlier on Sunday, Morocco's official television announced that the earthquake claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people and injured more than 2,059.

A local source confirmed to Al Mayadeen Net that the number of missing people is very large, explaining that there are some areas that have been completely destroyed but are difficult to reach due to their mountainous and remote nature.

The National Institute of Geophysics in Morocco reported that the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck southwest of Marrakesh with its epicenter in the al-Haouz province was the most violent that the North African country has witnessed in a century.

The latest update from the Interior Ministry late Saturday showed that the quake had killed at least 2,012 people. Another 2,059 people were injured, including 1,404 in critical condition, the Ministry said.

On Sunday, the Euro-Mediterranean Seismological Observatory (EMSC) confirmed it had recorded a 4.5-magnitude earthquake, 77 km southwest of the Moroccan city of Marrakesh.

This comes as large numbers of Moroccans flock to blood donation centers in response to the appeal of health authorities, who urged citizens to donate blood to help treat the injured.

Moroccan authorities have opened several blood donation centers in various cities of the country, especially in major cities, such as Casablanca.

Blood is one of the most needed supplies in hospitals in such circumstances, as thousands of surgical operations are performed simultaneously and continuously in more than one hospital in areas affected by the earthquake.

Morocco mourned today the victims of the earthquake after King Mohamed VI declared on Saturday a three-day national mourning.

Rescue teams hastened their operations in search of possible survivors under the rubble left by the earthquake that destroyed many villages south of Marrakesh. Troops and emergency services also scrambled to reach remote mountain villages where victims are still feared trapped.

In the mountain village of Tafeghaghte near the quake's epicenter, virtually no buildings were left standing.

Civil Defense Colonel Hicham Choukri who is heading relief operations told state television earlier that the epicenter and strength of the earthquake created "an exceptional emergency situation."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said it was mobilizing resources to support the Moroccan Red Crescent, but its Middle East and North Africa director, Hossam Elsharkawi, warned that "we are looking at many months if not years of response."