Morocco earthquake: with authorities ‘absent’, citizens step in because ‘no one else to help’, as death toll passes 2,800
- Some citizens drove hundreds of kilometres to distribute food to needy villagers, claiming that authorities are absent
- Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades has killed nearly 2,500 people
Ordinary citizens are stepping in to do their bit for victims of the deadly earthquake in Morocco, after some complained that the authorities were slow to act.
Maria Boujdig lives in Agadir but is originally from Tafeghaghte, one of the villages hardest hit in mountainous Al-Haouz province, the epicentre of Friday’s quake, that has killed more than 2,800 people, and injured more than 2,500 others.
She loaded her car with food and drove the more than 200 km (125 miles) east to distribute it to needy villagers in the aftermath of the strongest earthquake ever to hit the North African country.
The tragedy of the dead is made worse by the terrible conditions faced by the survivors
Faced with the level of destruction, the insurance broker felt she had to act. “I got calls from families saying they had nothing to eat,” Boujdig said. “So I spent 10,000 dirhams (US$980) on food to help in my own small way.”
“The tragedy of the dead is made worse by the terrible conditions faced by the survivors,” she said.
“It’s catastrophic and serious to be hungry in these conditions. It was only natural for me to help.”
Tafeghaghte is around 60 kilometres from the tourist centre of Marrakech and accessible only by a narrow dusty track.