On September 8, at 10:11 p.m. local time, an earthquake of 6.8 on the Richter scale, struck Morocco. The entire region shook violently, and numerous homes and buildings collapsed. The destruction in Marrakech was significant and many Moroccan towns were completely leveled. The Miguel Hernández University of Elche, and its Unit of Development Cooperation and Volunteerism, is lending its support behind NGOs that have activated their emergency protocols and are providing much needed products and health services to assist the thousands of people there who require humanitarian assistance.

The Coordinadora Valenciana de ONGD has informed us about different donation channels to help cover current basic needs for the affected population, and the subsequent reconstruction of zones with worse structural damage. Several entities throughout the Valencian Community are providing responses to the situation in the city and rural areas affected by the earthquake in Morocco. They include:

• Alianza por la solidaridad is responding to the emergency along with local NGOs, supplying physicians, food, drinking water, and temporary shelter, especially for women and girls, as well as psychological support and consulting services for survivors.
• Cáritas opened on Saturday the emergency campaign of “Cáritas with Morocco.” Its objective is to channel solidarity of Spanish donors to address the humanitarian emergency caused by the earthquake in provinces and cities of Marraquech, Tarudant, Chichaua, Uarzazat y Al Hauz (south of the country).
• Casa Marruecos, la Coordinadora de Entidades de Solidaridad con África y Jovesólides has launched a campaign to raise funding to contribute to the recovery efforts and reconstruction of the areas affected by the earthquake in south Morocco.
• Oxfam has been working intensely since Friday night, in collaboration with its local partners, to evaluate needs and define the actions that it will carry out in upcoming days, weeks, and months, to help those affected most.
• Farmamundi, along with Cooperación Española and the pharmaceutical community, is mobilizing to support victims from the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains by activating its emergency action protocol.
• Fundación Ayuda Solidaria Hijos de Jesús (FASFI) has activated its donation protocol in conjunction with Cáritas Rabat.
• Médicos del Mundo is in contact with other Moroccan associations and humanitarian actors, closely following the initial evaluations of needs to activate a first emergency response in affected areas.
• Movimiento por la Paz is working hand in hand with social groups and local authorities to analyze the humanitarian needs and to respond as soon as possible to this humanitarian emergency.

In areas with elevated levels of poverty and poor building construction, these types of phenomena become humanitarian catastrophes. International assistance is necessary to continue with rescue efforts and to provide medical assistance and food & water immediately, and NGOs from the Valencian Community have activated their emergency protocols and ensuring their international assistance. Further information is available at this link for the CVONGD.