Migration to Al Haouz: Families flock to quake devastated regions to benefit from state compensation

In the aftermath of the devastating Al Haouz earthquake, an influx of families began pouring into the affected areas, seeking to benefit from the financial support announced last Thursday to rebuild the regions.

The challenges facing authorities in implementing the regional rebuilding and aid plan are already surfacing.

The Royal quake response directives include an urgent grant of MAD 30,000 for affected families, with direct financial aid of MAD 140,000 for fully collapsed homes and MAD 80,000 for partially damaged ones, as part of the reconstruction efforts.

Local political and civil representatives in the Tlaat N’Yaacoub commune, one of the hardest-hit regions, confirmed to Hespress the arrival of numerous families from various cities to benefit from the allocated support.

Political and civil activities in Al Haouz Province confirmed to Hespress rumors of this mass travel to the affected areas,  explaining that “entire families came to the region immediately after the Royal Court issued a statement that spoke clearly about the support allocated to the affected families.”

Abderahim Ait Daoud, the commune’s mayor, tells Hespress that “a group of families flocked to the region, coming from different cities and further regions, in order to try to benefit from the support allocated to those affected by the earthquake.”

“We witnessed these cases in all the community’s districts, as the phenomenon has spread to the affected places in various regions throughout the Atlas,” added Ait Daoud, noting that local authorities have taken notice of the issue and are working on it.

Ait Daoud emphasized that all damaged homes will receive aid and the assessment of affected residences is being conducted in accordance with the necessary criteria.

“All those whose homes were damaged will benefit from the support, and the process of counting the damaged homes is taking place according to the required conditions,” he reassured.

Ait Daoud noted that the residents who returned to the area after the earthquake, despite having left years ago, have posed an additional burden on the state for the provision of tents and assistance, which were initially intended for other affected individuals.

“Citizens arriving in the area after the earthquake, even though they had left years ago, constituted an additional burden on the state to provide much needed tents and aid, which was more needed by other, seriously affected people.”

“I am surprised how a person can bring their children and ask for a tent and aid and wait for the Statistics Committee to include them among those eligible for state support in restoring housing,” highlighting that he, along with a number of elected officials, raised this problem with both local and regional authorities.