(This post is part of a series on the Moroccan earthquake that took place in early September. The 3W Team is working to support ongoing relief efforts through contacts on the ground.)
On Friday, September the 8th, Morocco was shaken by a deadly earthquake measuring a magnitude of 6.8. For the next 10 days, aftershocks would continue to decimate the region of Marrakech-Safi and its surrounding communities. The death toll reached 3000 people and more than 5000 were injured.
The 3W Team has been in communication with contacts in the region who have been traveling to the impacted areas, specifically the High Atlas Mountains. In this area, an estimated 50,000 homes collapsed during the earthquake. One contact has shared they are not only delivering necessary supplies, but they are also connecting with and consoling families whose lives have been devastated.
Due to the unstable terrain, trips made into this region are very difficult as volunteers make their way into the 10,000-13,000-ft elevation mountain range. Typically these trips require volunteers to take several days off of work in order to get supplies into the areas where there is the most need.
Though difficult, these volunteers believe the journey is worth the effort in order to bring encouragement and supplies to families that have lost nearly everything, including precious family members.
Our friend and contact on the ground in Morocco recently shared, “Our conversations revealed poignant stories, including the tragic death of a 14-year-old in their village. Another person had a massive rock sitting on their home after it fell from the mountain, and miraculously didn’t cause any harm to his family members. The villagers were living without proper shelter, on the riverside, risking flooding in the coming months of winter. Their remote location left them feeling disconnected from the care and support they so desperately needed. We distributed games for the children, as well as bags with essential food and supplies.”
They went on to share stories of families who have lost everything, “We met A.’s family, who connected us to three families living on the precarious edge of a mountain. L. and his children were fortunate to have survived the earthquake, along with others like A.’s dad, as their houses crumbled around them. The main door was blocked, and they were able to survive after fleeing in the dark from a tiny opening made in the wall by the window side. Y., a high school student, needed an x-ray for his injured hand.”
The work in the High Atlas Mountains will take several months to bring even a minimal level of stability to the lives of those who have been impacted. The 3W Team is committed to walking alongside those who are bringing relief and restoration to these families who have suffered so much loss.
Will you consider coming alongside too? If you would like to help support these families, you can do so through the Global Strategy Disaster Relief fund. One hundred percent of your donation will go to the Moroccan relief efforts. Simply click on the link and fill out the information. Make sure to write “Morocco” in the memo section.