With weather conditions expected to improve next week, tens of thousands of residents displaced by severe rain and rising rivers are facing questions about when they can return home, how authorities plan to make neighbourhoods safe and what aid will be available for households, farmers and businesses.
Authorities evacuated more than 108,000 people from flood-prone areas across northwest Morocco, with about 85% of Ksar El Kebir’s population leaving the city either by organized orders or voluntarily, according to the Interior Ministry.
Electricity and internet access have been cut in some districts to prevent hazards as water levels rose.
As weather forecasts now predict an improvement next week with lighter rain expected, the transition out of emergency displacement will hinge on safety assessments of homes and infrastructure and confirmation that water levels in flood channels have receded sufficiently.
Local officials in the province of Larache, where Ksar El Kebir is located, have said that access to the city remains strictly regulated to ensure safety and support ongoing emergency operations.
Roads and transport links are being controlled so that only residents or people with urgent business can enter, while rescue and engineering teams continue to work on drainage and flood protection.
The response is expected to shift toward installing barriers, clearing roads and removing mud and debris once water levels fall.
Before residents can return, engineers and safety inspectors must survey structural damage to homes, assess risks from compromised utilities and establish clean routes free of contaminated water and mud.
There is no official nationwide return date yet as any return will depend on conditions on the ground and systematic safety clearances.
For many displaced families, temporary shelters remain in place with emergency camps established in public buildings such as schools and cultural centres, and support services providing food and basic supplies.
The end of the evacuation will also mark the beginning of damage evaluation and aid eligibility assessments. Human rights groups and legal associations are urging the government to designate Ksar El Kebir and other affected areas as official “disaster zones,” a status that would unlock access to insurance coverage and state funds for reconstruction and compensation under Moroccan law.
Without such a declaration, many residents could face challenges obtaining payouts from the Solidarity Fund against natural disasters or private insurance.
In past flood episodes elsewhere in Morocco, emergency rehabilitation programmes have included direct financial support for damaged homes and assistance for affected businesses, with funds earmarked for reconstruction and infrastructure repair under royal directives.
Farmers in the Loukkos and Gharb plains, where floodwaters have inundated fields, are also awaiting assessments of crop and irrigation losses.
The flooding has inundated wide stretches of farmland, threatening winter crops and livestock activity and increasing pressure for compensation or emergency financial support.
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