MOROCCO’S QUAKE SURVIVORS PROTEST AS WORLD CUP FUNDS OUTSPACE HOUSING AID
Two years after the deadly Atlas Mountains quake, many victims still live in tents while billions are invested in stadiums for the 2030 World Cup and AFCON.
Two years after the 2023 earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed tens of thousands of homes, many survivors in Morocco’s Atlas Mountain villages continue to live in temporary shelters and demand more robust government support.
Among them is 72-year-old Lahcen Abarda, whose home was destroyed in the quake. He and his two daughters still share a plastic tent, which he has had to repair repeatedly due to sun, wind, and rain damage.
Survivors and activists are increasingly frustrated by what they see as a mismatch between the speed and scale of expenditure on World Cup and African Cup of Nations infrastructure, and the slower pace of quake recovery.
Around 20 billion Moroccan dirhams have been allocated for building stadiums and related facilities, compared to roughly 4.6 billion dirhams disbursed so far for housing aid to quake victims.
In Rabat on the quake’s second anniversary, dozens protested in front of parliament, waving banners with the names of destroyed villages and chanting demands for promises made to survivors to be fulfilled.
Government authorities state that reconstruction is largely complete: of nearly 59,700 homes damaged, more than 51,000 have been rebuilt. Only about 4% of affected homes have yet to begin construction, according to official figures.
However, aid organisations and locals say many still live in tents, even in areas claimed to be reconstructed, and that the financial aid provided (140,000 dirhams for fully destroyed homes, 80,000 for partially damaged ones) is insufficient in many cases.
King Mohammed VI has acknowledged the issue of inequality between urban and rural areas, calling for reforms to reduce the divide. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch said very few tents remain, and that remaining cases will be resolved on an individual basis.
By: Itoro Etukudo
Source: Reuters
