Morocco announced on Sunday that it had accepted aid “at this stage” following the strong earthquake from four countries: Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. This information was provided by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, which clarified in a statement that Rabat had responded positively “at this stage” to the offers of these four countries to “send search and rescue teams”.
Portugal, USA, France or UN. This clarification comes at a time when many countries and organizations have announced their presence and readiness to provide assistance.
The interior ministry said Moroccan authorities had carried out a “precise assessment” of the needs on the ground, taking into account that “a lack of coordination in these cases could have counterproductive consequences”. He added that for now, authorities in the Maghreb country have accepted assistance from Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, which have “proposed search and rescue teams”. Already arrived in the country and contacted their Moroccan counterparts.
“As intervention operations progress, as the assessment of possible needs evolves, this will lead to seeking support offers proposed by other allies, according to the needs of each phase,” Spanish news agency EFE quoted him as saying. The executive added, “He appreciates all the solidarity efforts coming from different parts of the world and he respects these countries.”
On Sunday morning, Spain sent the first relief team of the army’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), consisting of 56 soldiers and four soldiers from the Moroccan army. Other countries such as Portugal, France or the United States also offered their help, but were waiting for guidance from the Moroccan authorities.
Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa said on Sunday that civil defense and forensic medical teams were on standby in the country and that the government was continuing to monitor the situation of the Portuguese in Morocco. On Saturday, Portugal took a step that allowed around 140 Portuguese nationals who wanted to return.
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken announced on Sunday that Washington had contacted the Moroccan government and French President Emmanuel Macron, who assured them that France was ready to provide a “second” helping hand requested by Moroccan officials. The Argentine government formally provided humanitarian assistance, immediately deploying a 28-component team specializing in search and rescue, as well as making available three tons of supplies and equipment.
Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will provide 1.05 million euros (one million Swiss francs) to aid earthquake response efforts in Morocco.
