Disaster Response Morocco Project #7011

Support High Atlas community earthquake resilience

by Global Diversity Foundation

Project Report | Sep 14, 2023
Following the bulldozers in to provide aid - Update 12/09/23- 11 pm Morocco time

By Simran Rawat, Tasnim Elboute, Susannah McCandless | for the Project Team

Thanks to your generosity and that of hundreds of incredible donors, we have raised 98,500 GBP in 72 hours across our 2 crowdfunding campaigns, here on GlobalGiving and on PayPal. We have also received generous donations for our relief efforts from Choose Love Foundation and the Hans Wildorf Foundation.

What we did today:

Today our GDF and MBLA (Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods) team made its way towards the epicentre in Ighil, where roads were opened for the first time. We followed the bulldozers and were amongst the first medical aid to reach the area. We continue to coordinate transport (see image): we are organising medical caravans that bring volunteer doctors and nurses as well as medical supplies to areas of greatest need. Our visit today covered villages Aguerd, Ighrem and Warti. We also tried to reach the village of Agrd, but roads were still blocked.

What we learned:

In the epicentre, communities have already evacuated homes, so we provided them with covers and blankets (see image). We have also provided water storage units. There continued to be aftershocks in the area today and we noted with sadness that most homes have been rendered uninhabitable in Ait Lkak, where one of our organization’s plant nurseries is located (see image of another nursery, below).

Most communities in Imegdal have now received initial deliveries of food, water and first aid. On day 1 of our delivery efforts, we covered 9 villages, and on day 2 we covered 15.

What we will do next:

We are now urgently trying to provide tents, mattresses and thermal clothing to communities, to prepare for bad weather due to start Thursday, 14 September.

To do so, we’ve established partnerships with DHL’s Humanitarian Assistance branch to ship supplies from different parts of the world. We are currently mobilising networks and sponsors to donate supplies that are scarce in Morocco. Can you help? Email Tasnim,

New and continuing collaborations

We are also now collaborating with the animal charity SPANA for a combined approach to help animal-dependent communities, and with VItal Voices, founded by former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Today we gave updates to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) to provide them on-ground expertise in advance of their upcoming visit to the High Atlas. We also continued to support news coverage with live inputs from the field.

Friends, a deep bow of gratitude for making our work possible--

Abderrazak, Emily, Fatiha, Fayçal, Gary, Hafida, Hakima, Lorén, Lorenza, Nessie, Nihad, Simran, Susannah, Tasnim, Ugo, and Youssef for the Global Diversity Foundation team

Abdellah, Ahmed, Fadma, Ferdaousse, Hamou, Hamid, Hassan, Ibtissam, Meryem, Mohamed, Omar, Rachid, the other Rachid, Soufiane, Touda, and the other Youssef for the Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods team

Additional Images:

-Some of the blankets and covers we delivered Tuesday (Source: MBLA INstagram, @mbla.morocco, 12 Sep 2023 video still)

-Team member & community researcher Hamid, who is from Imegdal, thanking donors for aid delivered. (Source: MBLA Instagram, @mbla.morocco, 12 Sep 2023 video still)

-A joint GDF/MBLA High Atlas plant nursery at Ouikmaden, pre-quake (Source: MBLA Instagram, @mbla.morocco, 31 Jan 2023 video still)

-Messaging encouraging coordination of aid delivery (Source: GSF INstagran, @global_diversity 10 Sep 2023)

Blankets we delivered: Imegdal, High Atlas, 12 Sep

Team member Hamid, from Imegdal, thanks aid donors

A GDF-MBLA High Atlas plant nursery, pre-quake

Coordinated aid delivery: safer, less traffic jams

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Sep 12, 2023
Aid lessons from pack animals: be nimble, determined and responsive to conditions

By Simran Rawat, Tasnim Elboute & Susannah McCandless | Project team

High Atlas Ait Atta nomad & pack animal pre-quake

Update from the field, Sep 11, 2023

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of incredible donors, we have raised 75,000 GBP in 48 hours across our 2 crowdfunding campaigns. These funds are currently being used to directly buy urgent supplies and pay for their transport.

What we did today,

Today the joint Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association (MBLA) and Global Diversity Foundation (GDF) team brought supplies of food and water to 8 villages in Imegdale commune. We encountered strong aftershocks in Tizintas and severely damaged roads. The area is badly affected, and many villages haven’t received much aid as many roads are blocked and trucks unable to traverse the terrain at present. Community leaders collected supplies from drop off points via mules and donkeys, due to the blockage of roads.

what we learned,

Given the crucial role of livestock in relief efforts, we are also partnering with animal aid organisations to carry fodder and water for animals in future expeditions. Our livestock consultant will also be accompanying the field team tomorrow.

…and what we will do tomorrow.

Today we were able to gather many supplies via donations, as well as through tireless procurement efforts by our team. We will be sending a big shipment of blankets, along with other essentials tomorrow. We are still urgently looking for large quantities of tents, so please get in touch if you can assist us in sourcing those.

Responding to evolving needs

We are developing a coordinated volunteer response and careful aid matching mechanism to ensure that communities in the region where we work get what they need the most.

We are populating maps of affected sites based on inputs from communities as many areas are receiving less attention than others and need relief to be directed there. Our process of needs assessment is constantly evolving, and the team has assessed varied needs in different regions.

- Imegdale is in dire need of tents and blankets as people are sleeping on the streets. Worse weather is anticipated later in the week.

- Tineskt requires solar collectors

- Ameslane needs food.

We are working to procure these supplies and send them to each area.

Providing coordinated aid means being nimble, and following knowledgeable direction

…and sometimes not proceeding with an established plan!

We did not send a planned excursion to Amzmiz today (11 September), as they informed us that they now have enough food and water. As per their request, we will now provide those supplies on Thursday, 14 September. Instead, we connected UK Med with a list of villages in Amzmiz that needed urgent attention.

We observed many volunteers and heavy traffic during our field visit today. While well-intentioned, many people trying to help have inadvertently ended up causing jams on the road and are unaware of how and where to proceed. This is why we are now trying to encourage volunteers and other organisations to join our field visits due to our extensive knowledge of the High Atlas and the needs of communities.

Working through partnerships and our international networks

We also connected JDC (American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee) to medical aid organisation Amis du CHU to donate medical supplies and have established contact with the US Consul General in Morocco, the UK Embassy and the World Bank to discuss how assistance may be brought in from overseas. We are also working with BBC, CNN, the UK Embassy, UNESCO and the Guardian to provide reliable updates from the field.

Updated list of partners:

Amis du CHU, Cadi Ayyad University, CorpsAfrica, EBF, Imal Initiative, Joud Foundation

Images:

High Atlas nomad Brahim’s pack animals in happier times. Brahim’s family are part of the Ait Atta tribe, with traditional rights to Igourdane Agdal (seasonal community-managed pastures), High Atlas, Morocco. Image: Inanç Tekguc, Eda Elif Tibet

Traffic jams on damaged roads from well-meaning donors Image: MBLA/GDF

Delivering supplies on Sep 11, 2023 for pickup by donkey and mule in Imegdale region, High Atlas, Morocco. Video stills MBLA/GDF

Unloading supplies for pickup in Imedgale, 11 Sep

Donkeys and mules will help pick up these supplies

Aid vehicles clog damaged roads to Imegdale 11 Sep

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Sep 11, 2023
From school gardens to emergency direct relief : update, Sep 10, 2023 - 8 pm Morocco time

By Simran Rawat, Tasnim Elboute, Susannah McCandless | Project team members

Supplies to be delivered near epicenter, 10 Sep 23

Many of you receiving this special project report have long supported our work with High Atlas girls' education and sustainable agriculture at the Dar Taliba da Ourika boarding house. Others of you have just joined us, responding generously to a new, critical emergent need.

In the immediate aftermath of a severe quake, Dar Taliba remains standing. Just before the start of the school year, though, the girls were still at home with their families, many of whom reside in remote High Atlas communities near the quake's epicentre. We have transformed this project accordingly, pivoting in this moment to honor our team's unstinting commitment to High Atlas community resilience and capacity to help. Below you will find a summary of the re-oriented project, followed by an dispatch from the field today.

Welcome--and thank you for making our work possible. We will keep you updated.

~~~

Summary

Just before midnight on 8 September 2023, a massive earthquake struck Marrakech and the High Atlas with deadly force. Global Diversity Foundation (GDF), with our primary partner, Moroccan Biodiversity and Livelihoods Association (MBLA) and additional local partners, are committed to providing immediate and long-term support to alleviate the immense suffering of rural communities where we have been working for more than a decade.

Our hearts ache as many in our team and communities have lost their families and seen their homes reduced to rubble. These villages are amongst the most marginalised and remote in Morocco, and we need your support to help us provide relief and rebuild. It pains us to share devastating news from our community researcher, Fadma, in Talat Naikoube. She's an indispensable part of our team, supporting our fieldwork in Al-Haouz. Tragically, she has lost close family members, and her village has been severely affected.

What is the problem?

The earthquake was the strongest to hit central Morocco in more than a century. Over 2,000 lives have been lost and countless homes, shops and other buildings have been destroyed. Displaced people in High Atlas communities need urgent assistance including clothing, food, shelter and water. Over the long term, these communities will need to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.

How will this project address the problem?

GDF, with MBLA, is directly assisting High Atlas communities. Given our deep ties with the region, we are working on the ground with our Moroccan partners to address the most urgent needs including emergency medical supplies, food, water, shelter and transport. We are committed to continue our support to assist communities with their long-term recovery.

Potential long-term impact

Global Diversity Foundation and MBLA have supported resilience of traditional livelihoods in the High Atlas for over a decade. Once the urgent aid work is over, we will use funds to help families rebuild their homes, incorporating earthquake-resistant construction techniques, and re-establish their traditional ways of living and working. Our approach is community-led and prioritises their pressing needs over the coming months to ensure that people’s lives and livelihoods are rehabilitated as soon as possible.

~~~

Update, September 10th, 8 pm Morocco time.

Thanks to the generosity of hundreds of incredible donors, we have raised 57,000 GBP in 24 hours across our 2 crowdfunding campaigns on Paypal and GlobalGiving. Currently, these funds are being used to directly buy urgent supplies and pay for their transport.

Our GDF-MBLA team travelled this morning to Talat N Yacoub, a village located at the epicentre of the earthquake to distribute food and water. We witnessed heartbreaking devastation and spoke to locals who have been sleeping outside, as their homes have crumbled. According to villagers and local authorities, we were the first to bring non governmental aid to the area.

We worked with local authorities to distribute supplies in areas where access is limited. Here is a map we are updating to show the locations we have reached. We also collated urgent needs from the ground today and are working on procuring medicines, first aid, sanitary products, tents and blankets as a priority. In collaboration with CNN and BBC, we provided updates and assisted in live coverage of relief efforts.

We are partnering with several local organisations to amplify relief efforts and reach as many affected people as possible. We are also continuously populating lists of volunteers, needs, partner organisations and communities which need the most help. Tomorrow, 11 September 2023, we will be travelling to two sites (Angale commune and Imegdale) to distribute supplies.

At the moment, we are urgently trying to procure tents and blankets for those displaced. Having spoken directly to Decathlon and other providers in Morocco, we have established that supplies of these have run out or are limited in Morocco. As of 10 September, 2023, we are urgently trying to source these from overseas. If you or your organisation can assist in this matter, kindly reach out to simran@global-diversity.org.

List of partners of GDF and MBLA in this effort to date:

Amis du CHU
International Learning Movement
Cadi Ayyad University
CorpsAfrica
EBF
Centre d'Investissment
Imal Initiative (& CAM Climate Action Maroc)

Thank you for reading, and for accompanying us. Your support enlivens us, and keeps our team going in the face of this disaster.

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