Under the King’s instructions. Significant progress in the reconstruction program of the areas affected by the Al-Houz earthquake

Rabat, Morocco – Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch chaired the 10th meeting of the committee in charge of the reconstruction program for the areas affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake, held today, Tuesday, in Rabat. The meeting reviewed the progress made in implementing the program, in accordance with the high instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI.

Key Points from the Meeting:

• Financial Support: 56,607 households have benefited from the first tranche for the reconstruction of their homes, for a total amount of 1.1 billion dirhams. The second tranche has been delivered to 6,927 households, and the third tranche to 872 households.
• Housing: 51,031 building permits have been issued for the reconstruction of homes, representing 86% of the requests submitted.
• Debris Removal: Debris has been removed from 43,084 homes, and the process of removing debris is continuing in 248 educational institutions.
• Infrastructure:
  • Roads:
    • 8 kilometers of National Road No. 7 between Tiznit and Tafraout have been completed.
    • Contracts have been awarded for the rehabilitation of other roads, including the road linking Ouerkan and Tlate N’Yacoub (34 kilometers) and the road linking Tiznit and Tafraout (22 kilometers).
  • Agriculture: 353,830 quintals of barley have been distributed to 48,581 affected farmers. 12,180 heads of cattle have also been distributed, with plans to distribute 70,000 heads in total.
    • Irrigation: 126 kilometers of small and medium-sized irrigation systems have been reclaimed (75%) and 54 kilometers of rural roads have been rehabilitated (88%).
  • Health:
    • Rehabilitation work has begun on 42 priority health centers, and is expected to be completed by July 2024.
  • Tourism:
    • 225 requests for financial support have been submitted by affected classified tourist accommodation establishments, and 115 establishments have been granted the first tranche of support (44 million dirhams).
    • Restoration work has begun on a number of damaged historical monuments.

The Prime Minister stressed the need to:

• Continue mobilization and act quickly and seriously: to ensure that the aspirations of the affected are met.
• Respect architectural standards: and use high-quality building materials.
• Accelerate the rehabilitation of vital facilities: such as schools and health facilities.

This progress demonstrates the Moroccan government’s commitment to supporting those affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake and to rebuilding the affected areas as quickly as possible.