In the wake of the catastrophic quake that shook Al Haouz region on Friday night, Moroccans across the country came together to collect donations and gather all sustenance for those in need.
Yet, the collection of provisions proved challenging as many Moroccans reported that their initiatives were thwarted by local authorities.
“The Mqadem tells us that our operations are prohibited for obscure reasons. We don’t distribute directly to the disaster victims, we only collect, sort, and deliver to the competent associations (to prevent individuals from going to distant association offices),” says one volunteer on X.
The Ministry of interior has denied the rumors of any obstruction or prohibition of collecting donations. The coordination cell of the Ministry of the Interior is operational, and all claims regarding a possible restriction of access to certain roads or a prohibition on direct aid distribution are unfounded.
Article 3 of Draft Law No. 18.18 concerning the Regulation of Public Fundraising and the Distribution of Assistance for Charitable Purposes says that “the general public may only be invited to donate by an association or several legally established and operating associations in accordance with their basic regulations.”
The law notes one exception that allows individuals to directly collect donations with the requirement of an authorization.
“It is possible, under exceptional circumstances, to invite the general public to donate and collect donations by a group of individuals if the purpose is to provide urgent assistance to one or more persons in distress, provided that prior authorization is obtained from administration.”
Majdoulin Nasrollah, one of the volunteers, has documented her unimpeded journey starting from collecting donations to distributing them in remote villages. Navigating the perilous roads of the Atlas Mountains, Nasrollah has been able to call for donations, gather contributions and distribute them with no interference from authorities.
Nasrollah and her friends visited a remote village where authorities’ aid hasn’t reached yet. Along the way, she recorded the damage that the villages and roads suffered – Boulders, rocks and debris falling off mountains, utterly obliterating roads and trapping vehicles.
Nasrollah expressed her exasperation at the vehicles, which were carrying neither relief supplies nor people in need of help. These vehicles seemed to be simply slowing down traffic.
This exasperation is equally echoed in the voice of Mohamed Allal, Director General of Roads in the Ministry of Equipment and Water, who has urged volunteers to take into account the difficulties created by light vehicles collectively heading towards remote villages.
“The issue is that the number of vehicles heading to the rural areas and villages are creating a significant obstacle, leading to delayed interventions for hours due to traffic jams,” says Mohamed Alla in an interview with 2M.
“I ask people to collect the donations and send them to where they can be redistributed, as anyone who wants to deliver aid directly creates more obstruction, especially considering that some roads, even if they are open, are prone to aftershocks and falling rocks,” Allal added.
The ravaging quake, which left 2,901 people, 2,884 of whom were buried, has revealed an unprecedented and deep-rooted solidarity among Moroccans who scurried to contribute with whatever they can afford.
Few hours following the dissemination of the tremblor’s extensive devastation, calls for donations flooded social media urging Moroccans of all walks of life to come to the assistance of the victims.
Moroccans answered the call and cars were quickly filled and sent to the affected areas laden with food, covers, and clothes.
The population relief initiatives are facing serious difficulties with roads being hazardous and the villages inaccessible. Boulders and rocks continue to fall preventing vehicles from reaching the damaged villages, and endangering the volunteers’ lives.
Caution should be exercised as not to exacerbate the status quo and cause more damage.
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