People waiting for aid, 2,100 dead

Third night in the open

Many people in affected areas spent a third night sleeping outdoors after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Friday night. Aid workers face challenges reaching the worst-hit villages in the High Atlas, a rugged mountain range where many homes collapsed in the quake.

land in morocco people give iron man assistant network increase to 2100 image 1 — A woman cries after a devastating earthquake in Morocco. Photo:

State television reported the death toll had risen to 2,122 and 2,421 injured. The Moroccan government said it could accept aid offers from other countries and would try to coordinate them if needed.

In Moulay Brahim, a village 40km south of Marrakech, residents described digging their dead out of the rubble with their bare hands. On the hillside overlooking the village, residents buried a 45-year-old woman who died along with her 18-year-old son, one woman sobbing as the body was lowered into the grave.

As he retrieved belongings from his damaged home, Hussein Adnaie said he believed there were still people buried in nearby rubble. “They didn’t get the rescue they needed, so they died,” Adnaie said. “I saved my children and I’m trying to get blankets for them and anything they can wear.”

Yassin Noumghar, 36, complained of a lack of water, food and electricity, and said he had received little aid so far. “We lost everything, even our house. We just want our government to help us,” Noumghar said.

With many homes made of mud bricks or wood, the structures are vulnerable to collapse. It was the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960, when an estimated 12,000 people died.

Waiting for aid

The Moroccan government said on Sunday it had set up a fund for those affected by the earthquake, and was increasing search and rescue teams, providing drinking water and distributing food, tents and blankets. The World Health Organization said more than 300,000 people had been affected by the disaster.

land in morocco people give iron man assistant network increase to 2100 picture 2 — A victim's body is pulled from the rubble. Photo: AP

land in morocco people give iron man assistant network increase to 2100 image 3 — People in earthquake-hit areas are living in temporary tents and lacking basic necessities. Photo: Reuters

land in morocco people give iron man assistant network increase to 2100 image 4 — Rescue teams from Spain have been sent to Morocco to assist. Photo: AP

Spain said 56 officers and four dogs had arrived in Morocco, while a second team of 30 officers and four dogs was on its way. The United Kingdom said it was deploying 60 search and rescue experts and four dogs on Sunday, as well as a four-person medical team. Qatar also said its search and rescue team had left for Morocco.

A small team of disaster experts will be sent to Morocco on Sunday to assess the situation, a U.S. official said. France said it was ready to help and was awaiting a formal request from Morocco. Türkiye, which was hit by an earthquake in February that killed more than 50,000 people, has also offered assistance.

“The next two to three days will be crucial in searching for people trapped under the rubble,” said Caroline Holt, global executive director of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

The international aid system is awaiting an invitation from Morocco to assist, Holt added, adding that this is not necessarily unusual as the government has to assess the need.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters, AP)

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