You can help Morocco after devastating quake
As urgent search and rescue continues in Morocco following a massive earthquake, each of us can mobilize to support the long term relief and recovery effort.
Over 2,000 people have died in Morocco after a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Sept. 8. It was one of the largest earthquakes in the history of the North African nation. Cities including Marrakesh, Taroudant, Asmiz and Chichaoua have suffered heavy destruction according to the United Nations.
People are still trapped under the rubble of collapsed buildings and time is running out to save them.
Survivors sleep outside, afraid to return to their homes fearing more aftershocks. A UNICEF photo shows a stunned child wrapped in a blanket sitting outside in the cold, dark night. Hundreds of families are experiencing this having lost their homes in a night of terror. Now they have the fear of what comes next as there could be more quakes.
Just imagine losing your home suddenly one night and be wandering outside with whatever belongings you could grab. You home is now in rubble. And for some families not everyone escaped.
UNICEF warns that children are the most vulnerable as the crisis unfolds.
As Hlima Razkaoui of CARE says “People are exhausted, aside from the physical devastation of this monstrous quake, the emotional fear and horror of what people have experienced is indescribable.”
The people of Morocco need hope right now that someone will be helping them. Assistance will be needed in Morocco not only for the coming days, but for months and even years.
That is where you at home can do a lot for Morocco in terms of longer term recovery. With the scale of the damage and so many lives uprooted, there will be the need for considerable help for reconstruction.
Basic services such as health care and infrastructure have suffered severe damage in the quake affected areas. Longer term problems will emerge after such devastation.
Hunger and disease can be a crisis within a crisis following a disaster such as the earthquake in Morocco. If there is significant damage to agriculture this will mean families losing livelihoods and communities losing food supplies. This is one example of a longer term tragedy taking place following a disaster.
Donating to charities in Morocco including CARE, UNICEF, Islamic Relief, Caritas and others can make a big difference. You could even host fundraisers for the relief effort of Morocco and inform others so they are aware of the disaster.
It’s also critical to maintain advocacy for foreign aid that will be crucial to the recovery of Morocco and other nations that have suffered disasters.
News headlines will move on to other stories, but that does not mean the crisis is over. In Morocco recovery will require sustained care and aid over time, and you can help make sure it gets the necessary continued attention.
William Lambers is the author of The Road to Peace and partnered with the UN World Food Program on the book Ending World Hunger. His writings have been published by the New York Times, Newsweek, History News Network and many other news outlets.