Morocco- The death toll of the 7 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on September 8, has risen to 2,901. According to the official data, the number of injured people has risen to 5,530. In addition to Marrakech, the earthquake has affected Rabat, Casablanca, Meknes, Agadir and Fes. The search and rescue efforts in the cities continue.

‘There was chaos’

When the earthquake hit Morocco, Iman Halil was in the town of Amizmiz, about 55 kilometers south of Marrakesh. “We are like other people, waiting for the humanitarian aid supplies. There was chaos when the efforts to distribute supplies started. There is a need for an organization to distribute supplies to everyone in need. Because some families receive more than they need while some receive nothing. I was able to find a tent; however, many people do not have a tent in this cold weather,” she told NuJINHA.

‘We have lost our friends, memories and history’

Iman Halil is afraid of the effects of climate changes that the country may witness in the next few days. “There are still people sleeping outside. Their situation will be worse in the coming days if they cannot find tents. The night of the earthquake was very frightening for us. Everything happened very fast. We felt the shaking of the ground. Some houses collapsed in the earthquake while some have been destroyed. My husband lost his family members in the earthquake. We have had hard times since the earthquake because many of us have lost our friends, family members, memories and history. We have lost many things; they are now under the debris.”

‘Our house collapsed’

Another woman living in one of the villages of Amizmiz has been suffering from headache and dizziness since the earthquake. When the earthquake hit Morocco, she was at home with her children. She said, “My husband died years ago. I was at home with my two children when the earthquake shook us. I took my children outside. As soon as we left the house, I saw how our house collapsed. Since then, we have stayed outside.”

‘We hope missing people will be found alive’

There are many missing people in Amizmiz. One of the women said, “We hope the missing people will be found alive. The people need humanitarian aid supplies. It is getting cold and we need tents to protect us from the cold.”