A year after the tragedy, Moroccan earthquake survivors complain about reconstruction obstacles

Nearly a year after the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Haouz province in the Marrakech-Safi region and the Taroudant province in the Souss-Massa region, killing 3,000 people, many affected families are still struggling to find shelter, citing delays, obstacles and even alleged exclusion from aid.

Shortly after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck, the Moroccan government announced a reconstruction plan and funds to rehouse survivors. Families who had completely lost their homes were to receive 140,000 Moroccan dirhams (Dh40,000) for reconstruction, while those whose homes were partially damaged would receive 80,000 dirhams.

However, according to local associations and survivors, some families who believe they are entitled to reconstruction funds claim they have been turned away, while those who have received some aid report delays and irregularities.

A member of a local association in Moulay Ibrahim, a small town and rural community in Al Haouz that was badly affected by the earthquake, described the situation as a “bitter reality.”

long process

“No family has been able to fully return to their homes or complete the reconstruction work,” he explained, noting that the area alone includes more than 200 families who lost their homes due to the earthquake. The same source added that “only 15 families have started rebuilding and are only in the process of laying metal panels, and six others are still in the early stages due to lack of necessary equipment.”

These difficulties are mainly due to the “insufficient amount” provided to these families (80,000 dirhams), which is “totally insufficient,” according to the human rights activist, especially since it is distributed in four installments of 20,000 dirhams each, while the cost of rebuilding the house is around 120,000 dirhams.” As a result, many are forced to borrow money to complete the construction process.

He added, “More than 120 families live in temporary shelters such as tents, which is a large number. As an association, we have purchased houses for 20 families and installed 50 water and electricity containers for people with special needs, patients, and women who gave birth during this period.”

According to the human rights activist, no tangible progress has been made in rebuilding damaged homes, especially in areas classified as “red zones” where construction has been banned. “These areas represent half of the affected population in the area (100 families), and the search for suitable sites to resettle them is still ongoing.”

The activist said that about 30 percent of the affected population in Moulay Ibrahim did not benefit from compensation.

He pointed out that “tourists were visiting the shrine and the zawiya, which were also damaged and are in the process of being rebuilt,” adding, “In other words, Moulay Ibrahim is suffering from a general economic paralysis.”

He added, “So far, the rubble of this disaster has not been removed, no agreements have been reached with hotel owners and traders, and no concrete steps have been taken to encourage people to return to Moulay Ibrahim and rebuild the area.”

Obstacles to reconstruction

Residents of Nyakube Hill, another small town in Al Haouz province that was badly hit by the quake, have similar concerns. Survivors who have been allocated funds to rebuild their damaged or completely destroyed homes say the amount is “insufficient.”

“First, the prices of building materials are high. The money starts with a down payment of 20,000 dirhams, which is not even enough to build the foundations of the house,” a member of a local association told Yabiladi by phone. He explained that the rest of the down payment is only allocated when the foundations of the house are laid.

“Some families had to spend their own money to rebuild, and even those who received the first payment are still waiting for the second payment, which takes a long time,” he added.

The activist pointed out that some of the affected families were prevented from using local techniques and materials in reconstruction, “which are less expensive,” as he put it.

The same source pointed to another problem that some families might face, asking: “If the damaged house is inhabited by three or four families, only one family will benefit from housing assistance, so where do the other families go?”

Excluded families

In other villages, some survivors claim they have been “excluded” from government funds allocated to affected families. In the village of Tanmart, in the Adasil district of Chichaoua province, Said Akhomach said he had not been given any money for reconstruction or rehabilitation, even though his house had cracked during the earthquake.

“Our village has 140 families, but funds have been allocated to rebuild only 30 of them,” Akhomesh told Yabiladi today. “Some houses are on the verge of collapse. Despite our attempts to protest and express our frustration, nothing has changed,” added Akhomesh, who is a member of a local association.

“When the committee in charge visited my house, they decided that it should be demolished and that I was eligible to rebuild it,” Akhomach said of his own situation. “But it turned out that this was not the case. My name was not on the list of beneficiaries of the funds – neither for reconstruction nor for rebuilding,” he complained.

“I am still living in this place because I have no other choice. I have complained twice, but nothing has happened. I am not alone in this situation; many others in my village are facing similar challenges,” he claimed.

On the other hand, Said Al-Hussein from the village of Taskoort in the Chichaoua region confirmed that “the struggle continues.” Al-Hussein, head of the Taskoort Development Association, denounced what he described as “violations.”

“Those in my village who did not receive any money were simply told they were not eligible for aid,” he told Yabiladi. “On the other hand, some families were deemed ineligible for the money, even though their homes were clearly damaged, while others received the money even though their homes were not damaged,” he claimed.

He added that “10 families who benefited from the money do not live here all year round; rather, they live in Casablanca,” while “the other families who live in the village all year round and have no other housing did not receive anything.”

Frustrating situation

In other villages, progress is slow, even a year after the tragedy. In Anjokht, a village in the Imindonit district, Mohamed El Guamal, president of the Anjokht Association for Development and Solidarity, said 40 out of 120 families would not receive any money a year after the earthquake, stressing that Imindonit was one of the areas hardest hit by the quake.

“Some families are still living in temporary shelters, and an association has helped build temporary Dalakite houses, each shared by two families,” he added.

“Our association has tried to express the residents’ dissatisfaction, by filing numerous complaints and notifying the authorities, but to no avail. We want people who truly deserve funding to get the financial support they need,” he added.

The latest figures released on Monday, September 2, show that 49,632 housing units have been built, with 55,142 reconstruction permits issued. 57,805 families have received the first instalment of Dh20,000 for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of homes, 20,763 families the second instalment, 8,813 families the third instalment and 939 families the fourth and final instalment.

Eleven monthly installments of the financial support value of 2,500 dirhams were disbursed, benefiting 63,862 families.

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