The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) emergency response teams are on the ground in Morocco ready to deliver humanitarian relief to victims in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake and aftershocks that devastated the country, on September 8. The major quake, with a magnitude of 6.8 and a depth of 18.5 kilometers (about 11.5 mi), caused massive destruction and loss of life, leaving countless people and towns in desperate need of assistance, according to local officials.
“ADRA is committed to ensuring the well-being and safety of the affected communities throughout the recovery process. ADRA has deployed disaster response personnel from Spain and other global offices to actively assess the situation and provide urgent relief to those in need,” says Mario Oliveira, director of emergency management for ADRA International.
The epicenter of the earthquake was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 kilometers (44 miles) southwest of Marrakech. According to the UN, the tragedy has displaced over 300,000 people, left thousands injured and homeless, and killed more than 2,900 people. The death toll continues to rise as search and rescue teams fight to free victims trapped beneath the rubble. Experts indicate the quake is the largest to strike the North African country in 120 years.
The United Nations believes more than 100,000 children have been affected by the severe earthquake. The most pressing needs, according to local authorities, are emergency shelter, sanitation and water supplies, and medical care.
ADRA Spain distributes relief kits in Morocco
ADRA Spain is currently preparing the humanitarian aid kits that will be distributed to the first thousand people affected by the earthquake in the Atlas Mountains. ADRA Spain is leading the intervention of the ADRA International network in the emergency caused by the earthquake in Morocco.
At the moment, there are more than 12 volunteers who have visited some communities where no aid has arrived.
Relief Kits
ADRA Spain is starting to organise the kits. The food is arriving and is being distributed but, in the Atlas area, the temperatures are quite low, and the families are suffering from the cold. For this reason, ADRA Spain is getting socks, sanitary towels, soap, torches etc. The greatest difficulty now lies in finding tents. According to Olga Calonge, director for ADRA Spain, the necessary steps are already being taken to obtain them.
"At the moment, we are preparing the first thousand bags of these kits for the thousand people we have already identified. At the same time, we have also contacted several local organisations that we already know. With one of them, we are going to make a delivery of warm clothes in the southern zone", commented the director of ADRA Spain.
