Late on Friday, September 8, a 6.8-magnitude struck a mountainous region of central Morocco, about 45 miles southwest of the historic city of Marrakech. The quake was followed by a series of powerful aftershocks.
Almost 3,000 people have been killed, thousands have been injured and tens of thousands have lost their homes. These numbers will likely rise as search-and-rescue efforts continue. Infrastructure—including power, water and, importantly, healthcare facilities—have been extensively damaged.
International Medical Corps immediately sent an Advance Emergency Medical Team to perform an assessment, and is working with local authorities and partners to coordinate response efforts in the areas affected by the quakes. We already have helped to distribute thousands of food and non-food items, including blankets and hygiene items, and are providing healthcare services through mobile medical units.
Our efforts include providing hot meals and emergency supplies, including ready-to-eat foods such as canned fish, dates, milk and cheese; hygiene supplies such as toothpaste, soap and sponges; and blankets and mattresses.
We also are providing mobile health and mental health services in remote and hard-to-reach areas, especially among those who have been displaced by this disaster, through mobile medical units. Finally, we are focusing on providing clean water and modern hygiene services to help prevent the spread of disease among displaced families who may be crowded together in temporary shelters.
Your contribution, at any level, is urgently needed and will help provide relief to impacted families.
*Please Note for recurring donations: Once we have determined that the community can continue to respond to the after-effects of this emergency without us, we will scale back our response efforts. At that time, we will redirect your future donations where they are needed most, to help us respond to future outbreaks of conflict, disease or disaster.
