NGOs say French aid for quake victims blocked by Morocco

French associations and NGOs are still waiting for the green light from the Moroccan government to provide emergency aid to villages in the Atlas Mountains that have been destroyed following a violent earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people.

The earthquake, which struck late on Friday evening and measured magnitude 7 according to the Moroccan Centre for Scientific and Technical Research, was the strongest ever measured in Morocco. French aid has yet to be allowed into the country. © REUTERS

UPDATE 09h00UT

The French government has said it has pledged €5million to aid organisations on site in Morocco following Friday's earthquake.

On Monday morning, Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna confirmed on the BFM television channel that the money will go to aid organisations already active in the disaster zone

Colonna brushed off questions about the absence of any official Moroccan request for aid from France, adding Morocco is "sovereign" and "alone entitled to determine what its needs are."

Relations between France and Morocco have been strained, notably because of President Macron's efforts to forge closer ties with Algeria, Morocco's neighbour.

A planned visit by Macron to Morocco has still to be confirmed, and Morocco's ambassador post in France has been empty for months.

When asked why Rabat had accepted official aid from Spain and the United Kingdom among others, but not France, Colonna said "this debate is inappropriate".

According to the latest official figures, at least 2,100 people have been killed and more than 2,400. 

Maroc: Catherine Colonna (@MinColonna), ministre de l'Europe et des Affaires étrangères annonce que la France va déployer 5 millions d'euros pour les ONG sur place pic.twitter.com/pg3D1P4Hqd

— BFMTV (@BFMTV) September 11, 2023

Meanwhile, Moroccan rescue workers are speeding up the search for survivors trapped under the rubble after the earthquake that hit the south-west of Marrakech.

The task is enormous, but so far France has not received any official requests for help, and Morocco has not launched an appeal for international aid.

Last February, just a few hours after an earthquake struck Turkey and Syria killing more than 50,000 people, French NGOs were able to send volunteers and equipment very quickly.

However, to date, Morocco is not following suit.

• France's Macron 'devastated' by Morocco quake, promises aid

Silence from Rabat for French assistance

According to some NGOs, there are several reasons for Rabat's reticence to allow French aid into the country.

Firstly, launching this type of appeal means the Moroccan government is incapable of managing a disaster of this magnitude.

Secondly, it means accepting a certain amount of interference from foreigner nationals working with the aid organisations.

Émotion et solidarité à l’égard du peuple marocain. Nous ferons notre maximum. pic.twitter.com/VmWJGcjbZj

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 10, 2023

So there has been no call for help and no request has been made to France, which is standing by, as Emmanuel Macron explained on Sunday at the G20 summit in New Delhi.

"The Moroccan authorities know exactly what we can deliver, the nature and the timing. So we are ready to help," Macron said, adding "the second this aid is requested, it will be deployed. We are ready."

The French president has also written to Morocco's King Mohammed VI, but has received no reply.

This is not the case for other countries such as Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, whose offer of support has been officially accepted by Morocco.

🇲🇦 The Moroccan authorities responded to offers of support from the countries of 🇪🇸 Spain and 🇶🇦 Qatar, the 🇬🇧 United Kingdom and the 🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates, which proposed surveying a group of search and rescue teams. #Morocco #Earthquake #Aid pic.twitter.com/KdE7GrwtTf

— Morocco Timeline (@MoroccoTimeline) September 10, 2023

'Issues' between Mohammed VI and Macron

Morocco's failure to respond means that some NGOs and humanitarian associations have been blocked.

According to FranceInfo, several associations are unable to intervene or have even been refused access to the country.

Arnaud Fraisse, President of the NGO Secouristes Sans Frontières, told the channel "Unfortunately, we still haven't received the Moroccan government's agreement. We don't understand why the [Moroccan] government is blocking us. There's no explanation for the moment, and the French civil security teams are also grounded for the time being."

For now, the largest NGOs, such as Médecins du Monde and the French Civil Security Service, have not sent any volunteers, aircraft or equipment.

• Morocco mourns quake victims as death toll passes 2,000

On the other hand, some teams have been authorised to work on a piecemeal basis, such as Médecins sans Frontières, which has sent four people to assess the crisis situation in hospitals.

A team of first-aid workers from Nice, specialising in dog searches, is also on site – six people, accompanied by four dogs.

Patrick Villardry, President of the Ulis first responder association maintains there's "a big problem between the King [of Morocco] and the President of the Republic ... it's a political problem – I don't know which – and I don't even want to know, it's none of my business."

Meanwhile, a number of associations believe that Morocco could be biding its time in identifying what it need, so that the relief effort can be properly coordinated, rather than launching a general appeal and seeing hundreds of associations rush to the scene, creating confusion.