While Morocco accepted aid amidst the Al Haouz earthquake tragedy from some countries, the US is not among them, which is starting to raise some questions in the American press.
During a press conference held by the official spokesman for the US State Department, Matthew Miller, a journalist asked “Has Morocco still not submitted an official request for assistance from the United States in the wake of the earthquake?”
The same spokesman confirmed that “USAID sent a small assessment team to Morocco to communicate with local teams to assess the situation and determine humanitarian needs.”
He further explained, “We exchange specialized technical expertise through the US Geological Survey, and we continue to consult closely with the Moroccan government on the best ways in which The United States can support its efforts to provide a humanitarian response to this tragedy.”
In a second question on the subject, the journalist wanted to ascertain whether Morocco has so far rejected any American assistance offers, but Miller clarified that he “would not put the matter that way,” adding “I would like to point out that we are having discussions with them about what we can best do to support their efforts.”
During the same conference , a question was raised about a statement by the United States Agency for International Development that spoke of “a million dollars in support for Morocco,” asking who would benefit from this amount.
However , the US State Department spokesperson declined to answer, saying: “I would like to refer to the US Agency for International Development for details on how these funds will be used.”
A report from the Moroccan Ministry of Interior previously confirmed that the Moroccan authorities responded to offers of support made by Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom, and the United Arab Emirates, which proposed mobilizing a group of search and rescue teams.
The press release stressed that this measure comes within the framework of adopting an approach that is consistent with international standards in such circumstances.
The Moroccan authorities conducted a careful assessment before making a decision, taking into account that lack of coordination in such cases would lead to adverse results.
However, the ministry of interior’s release stressed that as the intervention operations progress, the assessment of potential needs may develop, which may lead to resorting to offers of support made by other countries, according to the needs of each stage of the earthquake recovery separately.
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