Latest news Situation in Morocco's earthquake region remains difficult

The situation in Morocco remains difficult one year after the severe earthquake that claimed almost 3,000 lives. "It takes a lot of patience," said Christof Johnen, head of international cooperation at the German Red Cross, to the dpa news agency. Over the summer, the affected people, many of whose families were still living in tents, had had to contend with heatwaves with temperatures of up to 50 degrees Celsius.

"Heavy rainfall is now forecast for the coming months, which could increase the risk of landslides," said Johnen. Although there is now stable new accommodation, latrines and water points have also been renovated. However, access to some remote villages is still difficult. Together with the Moroccan Red Crescent, the German Red Cross has supported around 23,000 people so far.

Tens of thousands of houses were destroyed or damaged

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred last year on the evening of September 8 in the Atlas Mountains. The epicenter was around 70 kilometers south of Marrakesh. The tremors were felt as far away as Algeria and Portugal. Around 20 minutes after the first quake, an aftershock followed with a magnitude of 4.9. An estimated 60,000 houses were destroyed or damaged. Almost 3,000 people lost their lives and around 380,000 others were left homeless. It was the deadliest earthquake in Morocco for around 20 years.

Many people in the affected villages are frustrated by the often expensive and slow progress of reconstruction. "Simple building materials arrive in the affected areas at almost twice the price," said a resident from the village of Amizmiz. Of the equivalent of around 13,000 euros promised by the government to families made homeless, many had only received a portion. Residents also complain about the unequal distribution of funds and bureaucratic hurdles. The reconstruction of some roads has been stopped completely and some mountain villages are inaccessible.

In the village of Talat N'Yaaqoub, people had endured an "unbearable hell" in tents that had become "ovens" in the summer, said a local resident. A man in the province of Taroudant said that there had also been flooding nearby after heavy rainfall. A harsh winter is now imminent.

Moroccan media reported that at least eight people had died in floods in the south-east of the country and 15 others were missing.

SDA