Islamic Relief is launching a major S$17 million emergency appeal to provide aid to survivors of today’s devastating earthquake in Morocco.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco overnight and the death toll has now passed 1,000 people – and this is likely to keep rising even further in the coming days.
Many of the dead are in remote villages in the High Atlas mountains and the scale of the destruction there is still emerging. Residents are using whatever equipment they can find as they struggle to reach their neighbours under the rubble. Blocked roads are preventing ambulances from reaching the wounded. Officials are scrambling to clear debris, but the rescue and relief efforts are difficult amid the mountainous terrain, risk of landslides, and large distances.
In response to the disaster Islamic Relief is now assessing the most critical needs and identifying local humanitarian organisations who we can work with to deliver vital aid.
Food, shelter and healthcare are expected to be the most urgent needs.
Homes and other buildings have collapsed, including in the ancient UNESCO World Heritage Site in the historic city of Marrakech. Aftershocks have left families too frightened to seek shelter, with exhausted survivors forced to sleep in the streets.
Islamic Relief has extensive experience responding to disasters around the world. We recently helped more than 1 million people affected by the earthquake that struck Turkiye and Syria in February 2023.
To find out more about our response and how you can support Islamic Relief’s life-saving work during an emergency or disaster, visit our Morocco Earthquake Appeal page.