RAJA KHAYRAT

Morocco- On September 8, a 7-magnitude earthquake hit the Al Haouz region in Morocco. According to the official reports, 2,946 people were killed, 6,125 people were injured and more than 50,000 houses collapsed in the earthquake.

The earthquake survivors in the Tahanaout town, close to Marrakech, whose houses collapsed or were damaged by the earthquake, have been living in tents, schools and stadiums. Since the needs of earthquake survivors have not been met yet, they have to enter their damaged houses to take blankets, clothes and kitchen utensils. The authorities keep setting up tents for quake survivors along the road to the town of Asni.

‘I have to enter our damaged house to cook for my family’

Latifa Ait Oufikir, one of the quake survivors, has to enter their damaged house to cook for her family since they have no kitchen utensils. “I have to enter the house to cook for my children. In the evening, we eat a little and wait for the next day,” she told NuJINHA.

 Latifa Ait Oufikir wants to return to their house, their normal life. “I do not know what will happen to our children since schools have not opened yet. In some earthquake-affected places, children continue their education in well-equipped tents. However, the children in the town of Tahanaout are still deprived of education.”

‘I miss my school’

Nihad Ad-Obalal, an 8th grade student in Tahanaout, cannot go to school because her school was damaged by the earthquake. She said, “I miss my school. Even if our school opens this year, I will not go to school due to fear of another earthquake. In addition, I do not want to be deprived of education.”

‘I want to return to my home and school’

Abdul Rahman Ad Bin Yussef, a 9th grade student, told us that he had two dreams; one is returning to his home and the second is to return to his school. Speaking about what happened during the earthquake, he said, “I was lying in my room and suddenly I heard a loud noise. A piece of the roof fell on my shoulder but I was not injured. Then, I went out with my family.”

 

‘I want to go to school’

Hadica Lachkar, a 7th grade student, has lost some of her relatives such as her uncle and grandmother in the earthquake. “Our house completely collapsed in the earthquake. We have received no humanitarian aid until now because humanitarian aid is mostly sent to the villages of Al Haouz province. Last year, I could not go to school due to family reasons. This year, I want to go to school.”

Zainab Wakrim, a second-year student in secondary school, lives in a tent with her family. She told us that she was very sad that she could not go to school. Speaking about the difficult living conditions in the tent, she said that she sometimes had to take a risk by entering their damaged house.

Efforts to open schools again

Officials at Ibn Habous Primary School told us that they have prepared four classrooms for students. They wait for tents or mobile cabins to be sent to the town so that they can give education to children.