In response to the earthquake that has devastated central Morocco, killing more than 2,000 people and injuring as many more, according to provisional figures, on Monday 11 September, the European Union put into practice the solidarity immediately expressed by EU and G20 leaders in New Delhi.
The European Commission announced, on Monday 11 September, the mobilisation of an initial €1 million in humanitarian aid for the Red Crescent’s NGO partners in Morocco. “The EU remains ready to help Morocco in any way necessary during this difficult period”, stressed the European Commissioner for Crisis Management, Janez Lenarčič, in a statement.
Civil protection mechanism
Morocco has not activated the Union’s civil protection mechanism (UCPM) to request the dispatch of emergency equipment and goods.
The EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, the pivotal body of the UCPM, is in contact with the Moroccan authorities to offer them the EU’s full civil protection assistance, should they request it. In this respect, the Commission has contacted the EU Member States about the possibility of mobilising intervention teams, should Morocco deem it necessary, the institution said.
The EU has activated the emergency mapping services of the European Copernicus programme to make satellite maps available to pinpoint the exact location of the damage and measure its extent.
A wave of solidarity
Pledges of solidarity poured in throughout the weekend. On the sidelines of the G20 summit, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, the President of the African Union and the Comoros, Azali Assoumani, the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, the President of the World Bank, Ajay Banga, and the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, said they were ready to “provide all the necessary support for any urgent short term financial needs and for the reconstruction efforts” and to mobilise “[their] technical and financial tools and [their] assistance in a coordinated way” (https://aeur.eu/f/8hv ).
In a letter addressed to King Mohammed VI, the President of the Council of the European Union, Charles Michel, and all the Member States also offered their assistance to the country (https://aeur.eu/f/8hw ).
According to AFP, on Sunday evening the Moroccan government had accepted the support of four countries: Spain, Great Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Although Paris has not been approached, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Catherine Colonna, has called for not any “bad controversy” to be created, announcing, in the process, a financial aid of €5 million for NGOs on the ground. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang and Hélène Seynaeve)