Morocco earthquake survivors lack food, shelter

More than a week after the devastating earthquake, Hamid ait Fakir sits with his injured son Yahya in front of the tent serving as their improvised home. Like hundreds of thousands of Moroccans, their future is threatened by an insufficient supply of fresh water and poor hygiene conditions. The approaching winter will just make things worse.

The 6.8-magnitude quake shook the region late on September 8, with its epicenter between the popular tourist cities of Marrakech and Agadir, in western Morocco. Nearly 3,000 people were killed, and thousands more were injured. The Kharbouch Mosque in Marrakech (above) was severely damaged by the quake.

According to UN estimates, around 300,000 people have been affected by the earthquake in Marrakech and the High Atlas Mountains. UN aid chief Martin Griffiths has said the next step is to provide survivors with shelter, food and medical supplies. With winter approaching, thousands of people will need weatherproof shelters as soon as possible.

Fresh water is in short supply. In many villages, toilets and washrooms have also been destroyed. One survivor in Amizmiz told the AFP news agency her kitchen only had a bucket of water and some soap. Philippe Bonnet, emergencies director for French charity Solidarites Internationales, warned contaminated water could lead to "a whole range of water-related diseases — from diarrhea to cholera."

Though firefighters continue to search for people trapped in the rubble, the chances of recovering survivors are decreasing with each passing day. International aid organizations such as the Red Cross and the Catholic group Caritas Internationalis have urged Morocco's king to call for more international help. So far, the organizations have only been able to provide support through local partners.

In the village of Elmekhzen, this long-awaited shipment of relief goods and clothes finally arrived over the weekend. The government has set up an earthquake fund to provide financial support for up to 50,000 households. But Morocco has so far asked only a few, select countries for help.

Concerns for the missing and injured, as well as mourning for the deceased, has left a deep mark. The World Health Organization and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Societies have called for victims not to be buried hastily in anonymous graves. Families must be able to mourn the dead according to their own cultural traditions, they say, otherwise there is a risk of long-term psychological trauma.

Many families have lost everything. In addition to food, clothes, medicine, shelter and clean water, they also need the courage to rebuild their lives after the disaster. For 11-year-old Fatim (left) and her friends, who now live in a camp in Azimzim at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains, this new playground is a step back to normality.