Strengthen Long Term Al-Haouz Earthquake Recovery

Today’s cover image, a 2022 video still of Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association (MBLA) Executive Director Rachid, speaks to why the teams does what it does. In seeking images to share with you of GDF and MBLA's shared work, we want to complement the images of destruction, of the aid we are providing, and the enormous challenges communities are facing, with other, different ones.

These images will convey glimpses of the dignity, knowledge, determination and resilience that High Atlas Communities possess: that they know how to create, and recreate. Our team, and your support, will help that knowledge to guide our efforts, and will enable theirs.

These images will also give you context for our efforts: today included some aerial shots from our photo archive. They help to explain why the plant nurseries—some built on flat, open ground, and organized to enable sapling and plant distribution—have become sites where people are receiving, coordinating and distributing aid, sheltering and regrouping.

What we did today

• Our team visited the 36 families from Awrigh village that are currently camping in Imegdal plant nursery (see pre-quake images of the nursery, below), to assess their specific needs and distribute the following supplies:
  Solar Lamps, 5 units; Sandals; Tents, 3 units; Electricity Cable, 100 metres.

• We also arranged for volunteers to distribute supplies in Agured Village, Oukaïmeden. (See images of our plant nursery there, below). Supplies delivered: Blankets, 48; Mattresses: 25 (see images); Warm clothing; Sandals

What we learned

• We then visited Tiniskt and Ifghan villages to assess the extent of devastation in the area. In Ifghan, the houses are completely inhabitable, with 60 households currently living in tents or in the open. Thankfully, there have been no reported deaths in the village, but they have lost 90% of their livestock and seed storage.
  Supplies Delivered: One big tent; Solar lamps; Sandals.

• The most pressing present needs are toilets, tents (see images) and plastic coverings to protect against the weather. We are working with various suppliers and donors to arrange these, and with community representatives to assess where and how shelter and sanitation facilities can be set up.

Partners and collaborations

• We are working with the international humanitarian Aerial Recovery team to send medical caravans on future trips ,and with recognized Marrakesh architectural firm Archimath to assess how houses can be rebuilt using paraseismic techniques and local materials. We are also collecting fodder from various places to be distributed from next week to support livestock.

Images

1. MBLA Director Rachid on what motivates the team’s work. Source: 2022 MBLA video still, YouTube.

2. In another image from the same vide, Imegdal nursery manager and community researcher Hamid speaks to the challenge of creating the plant nursery now sheltering families in Imegdal, where he is now coordinating aid efforts.

3. image of an aid delivered to Imegdal early in our response. Source: (MBLA Instagram, mbla.morocco)

4. Mattresses our Agadir-based team acquired on 13 Sep 23, now being distributed. Source: MBLA IG, mbla.morocco.

5. High Atlas communities built on rocky hillsides preserve flatter, fertile valley floors near water sources for agriculture. (2022 video still, Anamer village, Imegdal rural commune).

Today, our team shared highlights on our social media of the guidelines for volunteers we’ve developed (see cover image and images below).

• As part of the work to deliver aid to communities, we’re working with a multitude of volunteers. Some are community members, but many of those less affected and more able to help are coming from outside the region and cultural context of the High Atlas. These volunteers are contributing a heartfelt flow of their time, energy, material goods and resources—like the use of their cars and pickup trucks to convey aid to different sites.

• At the same time, we are collectively operating in conditions of great need, sometimes limited supplies, uncertainty, stress, trauma, and loss.  These circumstances create the need to engage in collaborative decision-making, and sometimes conflict resolution. We’re using our skills as logistics coordinators,  facilitators, team and community leaders, and consulting with mental health counselors and a host of others to inform our practice in service to communities.

What we did today

• Our Agadir-based team sent two deliveries to Marrakech containing blankets, duvets, solar projectors (lights), solar torches (flashlights) and shoes, with the help of transport donated by Itrane & Globus and Baha Trans.

• Our Marakesh-based team received distressing calls for help yesterday from Mejjat, outside Al Haouz province in the Marrakesh-Safi Region, which had received no aid since the earthquake hit. We urgently collected supplies and made the trip today to deliver 65 emergency thermal isolation blankets, clothing, and baby formula.

What we learned

• In Mejjat, we worked through an equitable distribution process when the need was great and we didn’t have enough supplies for everyone. Our team distributed these supplies to 37 families across three villages in Mejjat (Birbbou, Azilal and Orumh’end). The aid distribution process involved designating an individual to carefully identify the families in greatest need across the three villages. 

• After identifying the families, we put together 37 sets of supplies, wrote families’ names on bits of paper, and conducted a fair random selection to ensure equitable allocation, as some items were in short supply or different. The BBC accompanied our field team to conduct interviews, allowing those affected by the quake to share their stories and shed light on the organised distribution process. 

What we will do next

• Our Agadir-based team also assembled 30 sets of 2 bags, one containing basic food and the other containing hygiene products, to be distributed in Chichaoua Province, which is still in need of more basic provisions. 

• Our Marrakesh-based team also procured more supplies to create another 20 sets to be dispatched in the coming days. The rest of our Marrakech-based team gathered in the office today to strategize the best course of action over the coming days for distributing aid based on urgent needs and well-though-out resource allocation. We’ll share more about the theory of change we’ve developed to inform our work soon.

Thank you for your outpouring of support! We are grateful for your partnership.

Images:

Summary guidelines for volunteers: GDF Instagram (global_diversity) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/glbaldiversity), 15 Sep 2023.

Partners in the work: video still image from 2022, MBLA Instagram (mbla.morocco)