2023 Morocco Earthquake – background material, information pages and aid resources

Another devastating earthquake has struck the MENA/SWANA region, this time in southern Morocco. On the evening of Friday, September 8 a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the area west of Marrakesh, the largest city of southern Morocco in a densely populated region of great economic and historical significance.

As we know from similar natural disasters affecting Turkey and Syria earlier this year, the emotional and psychological impacts of these devastating events ripple across the region and the diaspora.

Therefore, as an organization representing the art and culture of the region, MENA will do its best to track the latest sources of information, on-the-ground reports as well as vet fundraising and emergency aid providers.

Although we will do our best to keep the below list up-to-date, we will inevitably miss some important stories and sources. Where you see inaccuracies or resources we may have missed, please let us know: info@menafilmfestival.com

Please tune into the 24H Fundraiser for Morocco livestream on Saturday, September 15 which MENA has helped curate, starting 7am PST (15:00 GMT+1)!

Social media accounts

• Muslim Hands UK is tracking live reports of events on the ground, as well as a donation fund from their profile (see below)
• Morocco World News provides ongoing reporting from journalists and sources in the region
• Croissan Rouge Marocain / Moroccan Red Crescent is the Moroccan arm of the Red Cross / Red Crescent providing aid on the ground (French / Arabic)
• North African Girls Club is a womxn-led account focused on the cultural and social situation of North Africa, providing important updates and sources on the earthquake
• Banque Alimentaire / Food Bank in Morocco is doing food drives to support affected regions (French / Arabic)
• INSAF association is collecting financial donations and sharing information on food drives and volunteer opportunities on their IG page (FR / Eng / Ar)
• Politics4Her is an intersectional feminist digital platform currently sharing aid and resources on the developing situation in Morocco (English and Arabic)

News sources

• Al Jazeera’s live coverage on the ground in Morocco and international responses

Petitions & Fundraising

• Help people affected by the Marrakech earthquake
• Soutien aux victimes du séisme au Maroc/Support the victims of the Moroccan Earthquake
• Morocco Earthquake donation drive via Muslim Hands UK
• Blood donation drive via North African Girls Club
• Islamic relief UK emergency appeal for aid, as well as a donation drive on their IG page
• List of donation sources via Politics4Her

Background

• Explainer on the geographic and seismic conditions of the impact area, by BBC
• How Morocco, Libya and Sudan have been heavily affected by the consequences of climate change via feminist

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