Ouarzazate: Emergency Intervention for Populations Affected by Snowfalls Begins

lanes of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) carrying emergency humanitarian aid arrived the same day at the Ouarzazate airport, from where they will be distributed for the populations affected by the heavy weather and snowfall in several douars of this province.

A total of 9,000 families, spread over 75 douars affected by the cold wave and snowfall, will benefit from this emergency humanitarian aid consisting of food and blankets, as well as appropriate social support and proximity medical care, said Sanae Dardikh, Director of Communication at the Foundation Mohammed V for Solidarity.

“The first stocks of exceptional humanitarian aid, implemented following the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, following the heavy snowfalls that occurred over the past 48 hours in some provinces, have been received at the Ouarzazate airport,” she told MAP.

She stressed that this operation has a “special” and “exceptional” nature, since it will cover several levels of intervention, stating that it is first a humanitarian support, through the distribution of food and blankets, as well as social backing and facilitation of access to medical care, especially for people living in remote areas.

This support and care, she added, will be adapted according to the needs and crisis situations that require urgent interventions.

“This mobilization could be done thanks to the assistance of all stakeholders, including the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, local authorities, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the Civil Protection,” she noted.

She described as “very important” the stakeholders’ contribution, particularly in terms of logistics, technical means and delivery of aid.

His Majesty King Mohammed VI has given His high instructions to deploy an emergency intervention in favor of populations affected by the current cold wave and snowfall.

“His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, has given His High instructions for the implementation of an emergency aid operation, following the significant drop in temperature and snowfalls that occurred in the evening of February 17, especially in the provinces of Zagora, Ouarzazate and Taroudant,” according to a statement from the Foundation.

The Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity explains that the aid will be delivered from this Saturday by air, noting that aircraft of the Royal Armed Forces will be mobilized for this purpose from the Casablanca airport , in addition to the use of helicopters, which will be mobilized to reach landlocked areas.

An important human, technical and logistical scheme is put in place. Dedicated teams of the Foundation’s social workers and doctors, acting in coordination with relevant departments and local authorities, will be deployed on the ground to meet the needs of affected areas in the provinces of Zagora, Ouarzazate and Taroudant, concludes the same source.