The Moroccan Red Crescent has made significant strides in humanitarian efforts following the devastating Houz earthquake, implementing an impressive 538,837 interventions to aid approximately 79,731 individuals. These efforts have benefited 17,189 families across 16 rural communities and 661 hamlets. This extensive response program commenced in September 2023 and is slated to continue until the end of December 2026. The details were presented during a meeting held on September 30, 2026, in Marrakech, which was attended by various institutional and international partners to showcase the outcomes of the interventions carried out across the Marrakech province and the surrounding regions of Houz, Chichaoua, Taroudant, and Azilal while also reflecting on lessons learned from three years of fieldwork.
Extensive Humanitarian Impact of the Moroccan Red Crescent
According to Moulay Hafid Alaoui, the Vice President of the Moroccan Red Crescent, the response program has reached tens of thousands of earthquake victims, with operations tailored to meet the specific needs of each affected area and the extent of damage endured by the local population and infrastructure. To date, the Moroccan Red Crescent has conducted a total of 538,837 interventions, benefiting nearly 80,000 individuals belonging to over 17,000 families. These interventions have spanned various critical areas, including shelter and housing, water and sanitation, financial aid, health services, nutrition, first aid, psychological support, and disaster risk reduction.
Areas Most Affected by the Earthquake
In the regions of Houz and Marrakech, the interventions reached seven communities, aiding 7,839 families and approximately 36,620 individuals. In the Chichaoua province, operations extended to two rural communities, supporting 4,334 families or a total of 20,300 individuals. The interventions in the Taroudant province involved five communities and benefited 3,930 families, comprising 16,996 individuals, while 1,032 families and 5,815 individuals received assistance from operations carried out in two communities within Azilal province.
Among the various forms of assistance provided, shelter and housing topped the list, with 186,925 interventions recorded. This figure underscores the substantial needs arising from the damages inflicted by the earthquake in mountainous and rural areas. Following closely were interventions focused on water, sanitation, and hygiene, totaling 174,654 operations, reflecting the ongoing necessity to ensure adequate health conditions for affected families.
Moreover, over 55,000 interventions were associated with financial transfers, while disaster risk reduction measures accounted for 34,187 operations. The scope of operations also included 31,629 interventions in nutrition and 14,604 related to first aid. The health sector recorded 5,654 interventions, alongside 6,132 operations aimed at mental health and psychosocial support, a vital area given the psychological and social ramifications the disaster has had on the population.
Moulay Hafid Alaoui reaffirmed that the response program for the Houz earthquake will persist until December 31, 2026, marking the official end of this phase of the Moroccan Red Crescent's interventions. The meeting in Marrakech served not only to highlight the collaborative efforts of first responders, staff, volunteers, and partners who contributed significantly from the outset of the earthquake but also to reinforce the commitment to ongoing support.
Tiziana Bonzon, head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies in North Africa, emphasized the importance of integrated interventions aimed at addressing the needs of the affected and enhancing local communities' capacity to withstand future disasters. She stressed that resilience-building does not conclude with the end of emergency interventions but requires sustained investments in preparedness, training for the population and local actors, and improving overall readiness.
Finally, Mohamed Bendali, head of the Emergency, Youth, and Disaster Management Department at the Moroccan Red Crescent, highlighted that the Marrakech meeting brought together various stakeholders involved in the earthquake response, facilitating the exchange of results and experiences with partners. The gathering also provided an opportunity to evaluate three years of interventions and pinpoint crucial lessons related to the speed of response, coordination of aid, and accessibility to populations in rural and mountainous areas.
As reported by attasiaa.com.
