On 8 September, at 11:11 pm local time, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit central Morocco. Its epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, southwest of Marrakesh city. This is considered the most powerful earthquake in a century to strike Morocco. The number of fatalities is expected to rise as an unknown number of people are still under collapsed buildings, waiting for rescue. It is estimated that 6.6 million people will be affected.
“Our thoughts are with those impacted by this terrible disaster. We at H&M Foundation wanted to show our support and solidarity to the people of Morocco with this donation, that will support the aid relief efforts of the Red Cross Red Crescent in Morocco.”
Karl-Johan Persson, board member H&M Foundation
The Moroccan Red Crescent (MRCS) have been on the ground since the very beginning. Teams are supporting local and national authorities in the search and rescue operation, also in hard-to-reach areas (mountainous areas). The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) together with the partner national societies such as the Swedish Red Cross aim to support the Moroccan Red Crescent Society (MRCS) in the response to this earthquake.
Emergency efforts targeting 500,000 people include:
- Integrated assistance such as in-kind relief items (food, household items), cash programming and shelter.
- Access to clean water, sanitation and hygiene service (WaSH).
- Health well as healthcare and emergency medical assistance including mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS).
- Restoring family links and community-based protection activities for unaccompanied and separated children, and other persons with special needs.
To learn more about the disaster relief efforts led by the Red Cross/Red Crescent, please visit their website.
