Disaster Response Morocco Project #61287

Urgent Earthquake Response in Morocco

by ActionAid USA

Project Report | May 9, 2024
Resilience in Action: Morocco Earthquake Response

By Blaine Thomas | Development Intern

Women in Tifert gathering in a safe space

Thank you for taking the time to read this eight-month progress update on ActionAid's response to the September 2023 earthquake in Morocco and how we are continuing to support community resilience in the country.

ActionAid continues to provide recovery support with its local partner, Tamghart Noudrar (The Mountain Woman), in Feburary and March by distributing hygiene kits, food, and providing safe spaces for women in Imilil and Tifert. Tamghart Noudrar is a woman-led organization based in Imilil, a ninety minute drive from Marrakesh.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, Samira E., the Director of Tamghart Noudrar, is unable to return home due to the danger of collapse. She now regularly journeys to visit women in small affected communities, including Tifert, that are only accessible by dirt roads to distribute humanitarian aid. "We're doing something for the community, so despite the problems, we always resist and every year we prove that we can achieve quite a lot”, Samira spoke.

Young women, such as Kwtar, play an active role in distributing humanitarian aid following their participation in workshops facilitated by Tamghart Noudrar. She is the only woman in Taghzout, a rural commune on the coast of Morocco, who is participating in the leadership workshops. ActionAid is supporting 10 families in Taghzout living in tents with food and hygiene kits.

Thank you for your continued support during this critical time as we continue to work with community partners to address urgent humanitarian needs in Morocco.

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Jan 9, 2024
The first four months: Morocco Earthquake Response

By Katherine Coe | Individual Giving Officer

Aid being distributed to a hard to reach village.

Thank you for taking time to read this four-month progress update on ActionAid's response to the September 2023 earthquake in Morocco and how we are continuing to support communities affected by various challenges.

ActionAid's interventions encompass capacity-building workshops, infrastructure development, humanitarian aid distributions, coordination activities, and partnerships.

ActionAid conducted capacity-building workshops in December aimed at empowering 31 community leaders, specifically women and girls, from multiple villages. These workshops covered essential topics such as interpersonal communication, mediation, legal protection, and women’s rights.

ActionAid collaborated with a local partner to construct 14 bathrooms in several villages that were destroyed by the earthquake. Committees were formed in Tifirt and Taghzoute to ensure the proper functioning and management of these units by residents themselves. Tents were distributed to 27 families at the end of December, so that families have a safe and warm place to stay as the winter progresses.

Future plans include the construction of additional bathroom units and the distribution of more tents.

ActionAid's Humanitarian head of programs, Josepha D., share more about the the response and how ActionAid has been working alongisde local partners to assess needs of people in Morocco following the earthquake:

"We've been focusing on the needs of women and girls. We want to make sure that they are not left behind. The needs that we've identified are facilities for water and sanitation and dignity kits- so, making sure women have access to products for their periods and they can have dignity in accessing these. We are also working beyond the effects of the earthquake, beyond the affected populations in the rural areas. We are looking into city settings to see how migrant communities have been affected by the earthquake."

Previous Months’ Updates

In November, training sessions on psychosocial protection were conducted for 32 women, and food kits were distributed to 86 families in multiple villages.

October's interventions included needs assessments, meetings with women leaders in camps, dignity kit distributions, and multiple aid interventions in Tifirit village, benefiting numerous families through food and dignity kit distributions, infrastructure development, and community engagement.

Thank you for your support during this critical time as we continue to work with community partners to address humanitarian needs through programs and develop long-term programming to help the regions build back better.

Women gathering in a temporary safe space.

ActionAid has set up temporary camps for families.

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