Certain French associations and NGOs are grounded and waiting for the green light from the Moroccan authorities to intervene in the country affected by a violent earthquake which left more than 2,000 dead.
Moroccan rescuers are stepping up searches to try to find survivors trapped under the rubble after the earthquake which left more than 2,000 dead southwest of Marrakech.
The work is enormous but for the moment France has not received any request for help and Morocco has not launched an appeal for international aid, unlike what happened, for example, last February , a few hours after the earthquake which left more than 50,000 dead in Turkey and Syria. Turkey had launched an appeal for international aid. NGOs were able to send volunteers and equipment very quickly but, for the moment, Morocco is not on this line.
>> Follow the latest news on the earthquake in Morocco in our live stream
For NGOs, there are several reasons. First of all, making this type of appeal means recognizing that we are not capable of managing such a catastrophe. Second, it is accepting some interference from foreigners. There is therefore no call for help and no request has been made to France which stands ready, as Emmanuel Macron explained on Sunday during the G20 summit in New Delhi: “The Moroccan authorities know exactly what can be delivered, the nature and the timing. So we are available. The second this aid is requested, it will be deployed. We are ready.” Emmanuel Macron also wrote to the King of Morocco to tell him the same thing – and he got no response, although Spain did receive an official request for help and is therefore sending 56 people.
“A problem between the King of Morocco and the President of the Republic”
With this Moroccan non-response, certain NGOs and humanitarian associations therefore find themselves blocked. According to our information, several associations cannot intervene or are refused access to the country. “Unfortunately, we still have not had the agreement of the Moroccan governmentArnaud Fraisse, president of the NGO Secouristes sans frontières. We do not understand this blocking situation on the part of the government [marocain]. There is no explanation for the moment and the French civil security teams are also grounded for the moment.”
For the moment, the most important NGOs such as Médecins du Monde or Civil Security have not sent anyone or a plane full of equipment. On the other hand, certain teams, in small amounts, are authorized to work, such as Médecins sans Frontières (MSF), which has sent four people to assess needs in hospitals. There is also a team of rescuers from Nice, specialized in dog research. There are six of them with four dogs. “There is a big problem between the king [du Maroc] and the President of the Republicsays Patrick Villardry, president of the Light Intervention and Rescue Unit association (Ulis). A political problem, so I don’t know what it is, and I don’t even want to know, it’s none of my business.”
“I am going to save people and I am going to put my knowledge at the disposal of a people who are bruised and who are in chaos today but who will get back up very quickly tomorrow. Afterwards we must understand that they are perhaps be able to cope on your own.”
Patrick Villardry, president of the Ulis associationat franceinfo
Several associations explain that Morocco can also take its time to identify needs and properly coordinate relief rather than launching an appeal and seeing hundreds of associations go there in a certain confusion.