Al Haouz earthquake victims call for extension of emergency aid as reconstruction progress remains slow

Victims of the Al-Haouz earthquake, along with civil society activists, are calling for the extension of the monthly emergency financial aid of MAD2,500, which is set to end next month. They argue that the slow pace of reconstruction means many families will still be unable to return to their homes by the time the aid stops.

Back in October 2024, the inter-ministerial committee responsible for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of areas affected by the earthquake announced a five-month extension to the emergency aid program, originally planned for 12 months, following instructions from King Mohammed VI. But, those impacted now stress the need for another extension to give all victims enough time to rebuild their lives.

By the end of November 2024, local authorities had approved 57,072 rebuilding permits, with construction or repairs underway or completed on 35,214 homes—5,000 more than two months earlier, according to the committee.

A previous statement from the committee noted that the emergency aid program—set at MAD2,500 per month for families whose homes were partially or fully destroyed—had already been extended for 5 additional months. By early December, the total amount distributed through the program had reached MAD2 billion.

Mountassir Itri, an Al Haouz earthquake victims’ Coordination Committee member, stated that “extending the monthly emergency aid of MAD2,500 is the least the state can do for those affected by the earthquake.”

In a statement to Hespress AR, he mentioned that this support is vital to help them rebuild their homes and return to the lives they had before September 8, 2023,” stressing that “this request is urgent and necessary, especially given the extremely slow progress in reconstruction and resettlement, as official data clearly shows.”

Itri explained, “most of the victims are people of modest means who have no steady income or resources to cover their basic daily needs. Even those who relied on farming lost their livestock and crops in the disaster. Many breadwinners have also been forced to leave their jobs in the cities to stay with their families, now living in plastic tents.”

He added, “the emergency aid has been a lifeline for these families, and if it ends in February, their struggles will only deepen.”

The member of the committee emphasized that “some families haven’t received aid for nearly 3 months, even though they’re still renting apartments because they can’t rebuild their homes. Others live in red zones where construction is banned, and since no alternative land has been provided, they’re still stuck in tents. Also, some families are staying with relatives.”

Itri noted that “a large number of earthquake victims still haven’t received reconstruction grants or the monthly emergency aid.” He called for “comprehensive solutions to address the hardships of Al-Haouz earthquake victims, developed through meaningful discussions involving all stakeholders and the victims themselves.”

Mohamed Diche, the national coordinator of the Civil Coalition for the Mountain, said, “a full year has passed, and many victims still haven’t been able to return to their homes due to major delays in reconstruction and resettlement. This makes it crucial to continue the emergency financial aid of MAD2,500, which most rely on to cover rent or their basic daily expenses.”

He highlighted that many victims lost their livelihoods in the Al-Haouz earthquake, including farms and livestock, and cutting off emergency aid would worsen their suffering, emphasizing that the five-month extension announced in October was insufficient, as it’s unrealistic to expect a year-long problem to be resolved in just 5 months.”

Diche argued that the aid extension should have no set end date and continue until all victims are settled. He also “criticized the slow spending, noting only MAD11 billion have been spent on reconstruction, despite the government’s plan to allocate MAD25 billion annually.”

The national coordinator pointed out that most victims received only MAD 80,000, despite their homes being fully destroyed, while they should have received MAD140,000. He also noted that many families haven’t received the last 3 aid installments because the MAD20,000 given for rebuilding foundations is far too little, with victims estimating the real cost to be around MAD 40,000.