On the night of Friday 8th September, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco, causing thousands of deaths and destruction to towns and buildings including the old Medina of Marrakech. The epicentre of the quake was an area near Ighil in the High Atlas Mountains, around 70 kilometres southwest of Marrakech, but the impact of the earthquake was felt as far away as the north coast of the country. In Casablanca and Essaouira, residents fled their homes in the middle of the night, and tremors reached southern Spain. As of Monday morning, the death toll has surpassed 2,100 and the World Health Organisation estimates that a further 300,000 have been impacted by the earthquake.
Many of those affected have lost loved ones and livelihoods to the earthquake, and residents of cities like Marrakech spent the remainder of the weekend outside, some having lost their homes and others attempting to stay safe from aftershocks. While the damage to cosmopolitan areas like Marrakech is being widely circulated online, less accessible remote areas closer to the earthquake’s epicentre have faced the worst effects, with many believed to be stuck beneath the rubble and emergency services struggling to reach them. Villages have been flattened and cultural heritage sites like the 12th century Tinmal Mosque in the Atlas Mountains have been destroyed.
Rescue efforts are ongoing, but the Red Cross has warned that recovery from the damage caused by the quake could take years.
We’ve compiled the following list of resources if you would like to support Moroccans dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake. Scroll down for charities and campaigns you can donate to, as well as people to follow to stay up to date.
Where To Donate:
International nonprofits providing disaster relief:
Islamic Relief UK – A humanitarian aid and development charity organising a £10 million GBP Morocco Earthquake Emergency Appeal to deliver vital aid to those affected, working in partnership with organisations on the ground to identify the areas of greatest need.
Global Diversity Foundation – An NGO that has been working in the High Atlas for more than a decade and is running a Morocco High Atlas Earthquake Relief Fund to provide urgent assistance to communities in need including clothing, food, shelter and water.
The Eve Branson Foundation – A small non-profit spearheaded by Richard Branson’s mother Eve, which provides artisanal training programmes and improve livelihoods in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains and has organised a Morocco Earthquake Relief Fund to provide emergency relief to Amazigh communities in the Azni Valley. The fund will then transition to focus on recovery efforts led by local, vetted organisations in the impacted areas to restore damaged homes, rebuild infrastructure, and more as needs evolve.
One Nation – A UK Based relief and development foundation running a Morocco Earthquake Response appeal through their teams on the ground, who are currently distributing emergency aid packs to the affected displaced families.
Other large international NGOs conducting emergency relief efforts in Morocco: Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), British Red Cross, UNICEF USA and CARE International, IFRC (in partnership with Moroccan Red Crescent).
Moroccan nonprofits and charities:
Amal Women’s Training Center – Moroccan based nonprofit organisation that empowers women from disadvantaged backgrounds to become independent and self-sufficient, and has started a relief fund to support those affected by the earthquake in the El Haouz region near the epicentre.
Amis Des Ecoles – NGO which provides education for children and promotes women’s empowerment and is running an Earthquake Relief fundraising campaign to provide assistance in some of the worst affected communities.
Banque Alimentaire du Maroc – Food Bank of Morocco, headquartered in Casablanca, is fundraising to provide emergency supplies including blankets and food to those in urgent need in affected areas.
Education for All Morocco (EFA) – Local charity providing boarding houses for girls to attend school in the remotest areas of the High Atlas Mountains, running an Earthquake Crisis Appeal to repair their boarding houses, which were damaged by the quake, as well as to provide ongoing support for the girls they work with and their families who come from areas surrounding the epicentre.
El Baraka Angels – This organisation based in Rabat is organising the collection of donations and aid convoys to transport them to the areas hardest hit by the quake. See their Instagram account for the latest updates on how you may be able to help.
High Atlas Foundation – Moroccan association and US charity founded by former Peace Corps volunteers which supports community-led sustainable development in Morocco and is fundraising to provide essential supplies, such as non-perishable food items and blankets, in response to displaced communities’ requests for help.
Jarjeer Mules – Sanctuary for working equine animals in Morocco working in villages in the Atlas Mountains to treat animals injured in the earthquake.
Rif Tribes Foundation – Non-profit working to support communities across the Rif Valley and to promote traditional Amazigh art and culture. They are now dedicating all their resources to supporting those affected by the earthquake in the High Atlas mountains through their Emergency Earthquake Appeal.
SOS Villages d’Enfants Maroc – Non-profit association providing long-term care for children in distress, orphans or abandoned children and has started a crowd-funding campaign to support the deployment of an emergency program, with the support of its humanitarian team and local associative partners in the Haouz and Souss region, and with the backing of the mobilised local authorities.
Marock Jeunes – This Moroccan NGO is working to deliver vital supplies to those affected by the quake in the areas surrounding Marrakech and Al Haouz.
Community crowd-funding campaigns and fundraisers:
Morocco Quake Relief: Rebuilding Lives – Community fundraising campaign by Lamya Aloui and Stephane Paquet to support families grappling with the loss of income providers, households who have lost their homes and youth in the Atlas Mountains whose schools have been destroyed.
Earthquake Fundraiser – Community crowd-funding campaignby Beatriz Maximo, owner of Kasbah Bab Ourika, a boutique hotel in the Atlas Mountains that employs 80 people from villages in the Atlas Mountains, aimed at supporting them and their families in the aftermath of the earthquake.
Morocco Earthquake Fundraiser – An appeal for assistance set up by Maryam Booth, one of our partners at the Pink Jinn Souq, to rebuild the homes of her friends and colleagues in the Taroudant region which have been completely destroyed by the earthquake.
Morocco Earthquake Relief – Community fundraiser by Brahim El Guabli providing direct support to families and supporting village associations in the Atlas Mountains.
Imlil Earthquake Aid – Community aid appeal by Seelena Johal to provide emergency relief, medical supplies, food, water and emergency shelter and to restore road access to Imlil and its surrounding villages.
Limala – The wonderful team behind Limala have joined forces with other businesses operating out of the areas affected by the earthquake to launch a Morocco Emergency Relief Fund. Thank to their network on the ground, they have already been able to deliver emergency supplies to hard-hit communities in rural areas.
Project Soar – This fabulous charity which focuses on education and empowerment for girls in Morocco, has launched an Earthquake Relief initiative focusing on providing menstrual hygiene products, nappies and other essential first aid needs to girls and women in areas affected by the quake.
Who to follow:
Aida Alimi | Twitter – Moroccan New York Times journalist reporting directly from the ground in Morocco on the earthquake and its aftermath.
Brahim El Guabli | Twitter – Indigenous scholar, specializing in Amazigh, Arabic, and Francophone literatures sharing regular updates on the situation in some of the worst affected villages in the Atlas Mountains.
Amanda Mouttiaki | Instagram – Marrakech based blogger who is sharing updates from the city as well as information on how to support affected communities and reputable charities working on the ground.
Bochra Laghssais | Instagram – A Moroccan academic and activist with a PhD in Peace, Conflict and Development and working for Amazigh women’s empowerment. She is sharing regular updates and ways to help those affected by the earthquake.
Hajer Naili | LinkedIn – Director of Communications at Center for Civilians in Conflict, sharing regular updates on LinkedIn about the impact of the quake and organisations to support.
Ouidad Elma | Instagram – Ouidad Elma is a French-Moroccan actress from the Rif Valley. She’s part of the Artists for Morocco initiative and is also sharing regular updates on the situation in Morocco and on how you can help relief efforts if you are in the UK or France.
Support and information to share with friends on the ground:
Psychologues Maghreb – Providing free mental health support for those affected in Darija, French, English and Tamazight.
Ligue des Spécialistes pour la Santé Mentale et Psychique – This organisation is providing crisis hotlines for those affected by the earthquake, manned by mental health specialists.
Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association – Local association collecting essential supplies including food, bedding, clothes and hygiene essentials from Marrakech which are being distributed in villages at the heart of the epicentre.
Blood donor appeal – For those who are in Morocco and are in a position to help, there is a nationwide appeal for blood donors. Here is a list of locations across the country where you donate blood:
Marrakech:
CRTS Marrakech, Boulevard Al Moustachfayate
Rabat:
Centre de Transfusion Al Irfan
Centre de Transfusion Hospital Moulay Youssef
Casablanca:
Cheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Hospital, Avenue Mohamed Taieb Naciri
Mohammed VI University International Hospital, Bouskoura
Centre Régional de Transfusion, Boulevard Mohamed Zerktouni
Tangier:
Centre Régional de Transfusion Sanguine, Avenue Massira Al Khadra
Agadir :
Centre Régional de Transfusion Sanguine Ihchach, Boulevard Lhaj Lhabib
AEM Marrakech – The Association of Medical Students of Marrakech is a good source of information about local physical donations, especially of medical supplies. They also share details of blood banks.
Let us know about any other organisations you would like to see added to this list, or other ways you have found to support those affected by the earthquake.
