The toll has grown every day in Morocco since the earthquake of Saturday, September 9, and yet the Moroccan state has only accepted aid from four countries so far.
There is such an urgency that this diplomatic management of the crisis may seem incomprehensible, but it is not because the King of Morocco seems to be turning his back on certain countries that help is not arriving from all over the world. The Moroccan diaspora, which numbers 5.5 million people – almost 15% of the Moroccan population – is spread over a hundred countries and its effectiveness has been widely proven.
>> Earthquake in Morocco: generosity is organized to help the victims
The Moroccans of the world are a centerpiece of the kingdom. Their support is crucial for the country’s economy. For four years, the volume of funds sent to Morocco from abroad has been increasing. They increased by 10% in the first half of 2023 compared to 2022. Each year, more than 10 billion euros in informal aid stabilize the country. This solidarity proved vital during the Covid, when the tourism sector was hit hard, and for the past two days, mobilization has been launched around the world.
A very organized system
The diaspora knows perfectly well how to go about it and how to manage money. According to each host country, the settled communities come from the same regions in Morocco, so the networks are very well constructed. For example, 300,000 Moroccans settled in Canada come mainly from the suburbs of Marrakech and 20% of the economy of Marrakech is based on these donations from abroad.
The money is sent through secure, untaxed transfer companies, which strike a strong chord to attract customers, reminding these expatriate Moroccans that they play a vital role in the nation’s growth.
Another of the largest diasporas, cut off from Morocco for a very long time for political and religious reasons, is that of Israel. 800,000 Moroccan Jews gradually migrated to Israel from 1948, without ever being able to return to Morocco. But very recently, in 2020, the two countries established a diplomatic link. The investments, the tourist stays of this diaspora are more important each year, so much so that the Jewish State offers its assistance today. Aid that the Moroccan state has not yet accepted.