Morocco: 3 Years On, Morocco Earthquake Victims Still Wait for Help

What the report says

Deutsche Welle reports that reconstruction after Morocco’s 2023 earthquake has advanced, but many survivors still face delays or gaps in state support three years later. The quake, which struck the Al Haouz region on September 8, 2023, killed more than 2,900 people, injured over 5,500 and damaged homes across remote High Atlas communities.

The article contrasts two nearby villages. In Ighermane, about 90% of homes have been rebuilt, according to a local development group, and residents such as Mohamed Ait Belaid say they received partial aid and were able to add personal savings to rebuild. In Azgour, however, Larbi Ait Jelloulat said he has spent years appealing for help after his house was destroyed and claims bureaucratic rules have left him excluded. Other residents in the wider affected area described still living in tents or being denied assistance because of ownership or residency status.

Morocco’s High Atlas Development Agency said in a March statement that 54,425 homes have been built or rehabilitated and more than 3,000 remain under construction, with more than 7.2 billion dirhams distributed to affected families. The piece notes that officials and an architect view reconstruction as difficult but moving forward because of terrain, damaged infrastructure, transport challenges and the need to relocate some sites.

Still, a victims’ coordination group says it has received complaints from more than 3,000 families who say they were left out of aid. The report suggests the uneven pace of recovery remains a sensitive issue, with some residents pressing for a transparent review of compensation and others hoping political pressure ahead of elections will resolve outstanding cases.