Care.org Care.org
icon icon icon icon icon icon icon

Morocco earthquake: CARE's latest updates & how to help

Image of the aftermath of the Morocco earthquake. Photo: CARE France

Image of the aftermath of the Morocco earthquake. Photo: CARE France

By CARE Staff September 9, 2023

Near midnight local time on Friday, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Al-Haouz region of Morocco. Government authorities and relief groups have already reported more than 1,000 deaths, with the toll climbing by the hour.

“Many already struggled in Morocco prior to the earthquake. Now, hundreds of thousands have lost everything in a matter of seconds,” said Deepmala Mahla, CARE’s Vice President of Humanitarian Affairs.

“Every hour, the level of devastation is increasing.”

The epicenter of the quake was in the Atlas Mountain region, about 50 miles from the city of Marrakech. The affected area is home to about 1.8 million people, and is also the area in Morocco where CARE primarily works.

The CARE teams on the ground are working to get emergency water, food, and medical support to survivors.

“It was an utterly terrifying night for all of us in Morocco,” said Hlima Razkaoui, CARE Morocco’s Country Director.

Dr. Deepmala Mahla, VP of Humanitarian Affairs at CARE USA joins MSNBCs Yasmin Voussoughian Reports to discuss the devastating earthquake in Morocco and CAREs emergency relief efforts.

“As we have since 2008 in Morocco,” Mahla continued, “CARE will pay special attention to women and girls, youth, and disadvantaged groups.”

In 2022, women and girls made up 85% of those reached by CARE programs in the region supporting families overcoming poverty.

CARE Morocco’s office in Marrakech is working in the Al Haouz region, the epicenter of the earthquake. Despite the airports in Casablanca, Agadir and Marrakech, which can facilitate the delivery of international aid, the epicenter is in a mountainous area, which makes access difficult.

The New York Times has listed ways to help, including joining with CARE’s efforts.

Saida*, who lives in Douar village, Amezmiz in province of Al Haouz in the region of Marrakech-Safi, took the following video of the immediate aftermath and shared it with CARE staff:

This is a developing story. Please check CARE News for further updates.

*Name changed.

Tagged

Related Stories

News
‘Haiti is dying.’ What’s happening now and how you can help

By Michael de Vulpillieres and Reid Davis · June 26, 2024

In Haiti, an unprecedented level of violence has forced 580,074 people – half of them children – to flee their homes, according to the UN. Guerda Previlon, who leads a local organization which partners with CARE, has been responding in real time. Read More

‘Haiti is dying.’ What’s happening now and how you can help

Read More
News
A blended family flees one of the world’s most dangerous countries

By Laura Noel · June 24, 2024

Seemingly overnight, peaceful Ecuador became one of the most dangerous countries in the world. This family’s decision to leave was not based on a particular incident, but the ever-present violence that made life in Quito intolerable. Read More

A blended family flees one of the world’s most dangerous countries

Read More
News
Ukraine: returning like a bird to its empty nest

By Halyna Bilak · June 20, 2024

“We lived in the basement for more than a month, and only in the morning, when the shelling subsided a bit, we would run to the apartment to take a shower or get some of our things,” says Kateryna, 37. “We slept on pallets, along with all the neighbors. There were 12 of us living in a [160 square foot] basement. But we did not want to leave until the last moment. We fled Donetsk in 2014. We started life from scratch here, and it was very scary to lose everything again.” Read More

Ukraine: returning like a bird to its empty nest

Read More
Back to Top