A general view of damage in the historic city of Marrakech, following a powerful earthquake in Morocco. Morocco, September 9, 2023. © REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki
Doctors Without Borders is extremely saddened by the tragic news of the earthquake that hit Morocco and the high number of victims already reported. Doctors Without Borders is not present in Morocco, but we are establishing contacts with local authorities and have immediately sent our teams to Morocco to assess local needs and if our support is needed.
As with all earthquakes, the search for people buried under the rubble is the priority, and this phase is often handled by local solidarity. Communication and supply routes also need to be quickly re-established, as these are the prerequisites for the deployment of relief supplies from outside the affected areas. In this type of context, we need to care for the wounded and perform medical acts quickly like surgery or dialysis, which can be a challenge when local health capacities are severely affected by a disaster. Restoring health services and distributing essential goods can also be priorities. Our intervention will therefore depend on the results of these initial on-site assessments.
Doctors Without Borders teams have arrived on site and are currently assessing the needs, they will be coordinating with the local authorities to see how they can help. Morocco, September 2023. © John Johnson/MSF
Doctors Without Borders teams have arrived on site and are currently assessing the needs, they will be coordinating with the local authorities to see how they can help. Morocco, September 2023. © John Johnson/MSF
Doctors Without Borders teams are assessing the needs in Taharat village, after a powerful earthquake struck the centre of Morocco. Morocco, September 2023. © John Johnson/MSF
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