King Mohammed VI has announced emergency rehousing programme for over 50,000 victims displaced by the earthquake that struck Morocco early this month.
The King made the announcement on Thursday afternoon after chairing a meeting with senior government officials at the Royal Palace in Rabat.
The meeting was the latest following a series of measures ordered by the King Mohammed VI as an urgent measures of mobilizing resources, to help the affected families.
This first phase of rehousing program presented to the Sovereign, and which was prepared by the inter-ministerial commission set up pursuant to the High Royal Instruction, will cover 50,000 people whose homes were either totally or partially collapsed in the five affected provinces .
The emergency temporary rehousing measures, will adopt on-site accommodation formulas in structures designed to withstand cold and bad weather; or in reception sites equipped with all the necessary amenities.
In addition,the State will grant emergency aid of 30,000 dirhams to each victims concerned .
The King ordered authorities in charge of the programme to prioritise fairness and needy cases basis.
In addtion the King directed disbursement of a further 140,000 to each family whose houses were completely destroyed and 80,000 to each house that was partially destroyed to rebuild .
In addition to repairing the damage caused by the earthquake, these measures will also involve launching a well-thought-out, integrated and ambitious program for the reconstruction and general upgrading of the affected regions, both in terms of infrastructure reinforcement and improving the quality of public services.
This multi-faceted program will primarily mobilize the State’s own financial resources and those of public bodies, and will also be open to contributions from private players and associations, as well as from brotherly and friendly countries that so wish, and to whom His Majesty the King reiterates, on this occasion, the Kingdom of Morocco’s most sincere thanks.
During the meeting,His Majesty the King, may God assist Him, also raised the equally crucial issue of immediate care for orphaned children, who today find themselves without family or resources.
The meeting was attended by the Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, Advisor to HM the King, Mr. Fouad Ali El Himma, the Interior Minister, Mr. AbdelouafiLaftit, the Endowments and Islamic Affairs Minister, Mr. Ahmed Toufiq, the Economy and Finance Minister, Ms. Nadia Fettah, the National Territory Planning, Land Planning, Housing and City Policy Minister Ms. Fatima Ezzahra El Mansouri, the Minister Delegate to the Minister of Economy and Finance, in charge of the Budget, Mr.Faouzi Lekjaa, as well as Lieutenant General Mohammed Berrid, Inspector General of the FAR and Commander of the Southern Zone.
The devastating earthquake of 6.8 magnitude left over 3,000 people dead with an equal number of casualitues and over 50,000 homeless .
