Post-Earthquake Reconstruction: Over 46,000 Families Restore Homes in Al Haouz
According to new figures shared after a government commission meeting held Thursday in Rabat, the total amount of financial support allocated for reconstruction has exceeded MAD 4.2 billion ($425 million), while emergency aid payments, set at MAD 2,500 per household per month, have reached over MAD 2.4 billion ($243 million).
These numbers reflect the scale of the national response launched in the wake of last year's disaster.
Chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, the meeting brought together members of the Interministerial Commission overseeing the program.
In addition to the thousands of homes now restored, the commission noted the near-complete dismantling of temporary shelters. From a peak of 129,000 tents, only 47 remain in place, with plans for full removal by September.
Local task forces have also found on-the-ground solutions for 4,895 houses in isolated mountainous areas.
At the start of the meeting, Akhannouch acknowledged the pace of the work and called on all departments and agencies to intensify their efforts to complete the remaining projects with urgency and efficiency.
The commission also reviewed progress on essential infrastructure. Work on four sections of the RN7 highway currently stands between 25% and 65% completion. Meanwhile, construction crews have launched projects covering 165 kilometers of roads and 29 engineering structures, backed by a budget of MAD 920 million ($93 million).
In the education sector, 269 schools have completed reconstruction or repair. In healthcare, rehabilitation has finished in 70 health centers. Authorities expect to finalize work on 35 additional centers by August 2025, and 14 more by October of the same year.
In rural areas, the government has distributed livestock and barley to farmers, while also restoring agricultural infrastructure. Repair works on 43 damaged hydrological stations have concluded, and water networks have been reconnected in multiple douars.
Tourism, another pillar of local life, has seen 229 establishments benefit from the first round of financial aid, totaling MAD 61.1 million ($6.2 million). A second round brought support to 95 more businesses, with an additional MAD 30 million ($3 million) disbursed.
The meeting also addressed support for small merchants. A total of 1,600 shop owners who lost their places of business in the earthquake have received direct assistance.
Despite the commendable scale of reconstruction and financial support, these efforts still fall short of addressing the immense and lasting consequences left by the Al Haouz earthquake.
The sheer number of affected families and the extent of damage to infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods demand more sustained and comprehensive intervention. Many communities, especially in remote and mountainous areas, continue to face significant challenges in access to basic services and economic recovery.
While crucial, emergency aid offers only temporary relief, and the pace of rebuilding essential public facilities such as schools and health centers remains slow, given the urgent needs.
Moreover, the allocation of funds, though substantial on paper, struggles to keep up with inflation, rising construction costs, and the complex logistics of rebuilding in difficult terrain.
The long-term social and economic scars require a strategy that goes beyond immediate reconstruction and focuses instead on resilience, sustainable development, and support for local economies to truly restore stability and hope for the people of Al Haouz. Tags: Al HaouzAl Haouz EarthquakeEarthquakeMorocco
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Morocco World
a day ago
- Morocco World
Tanger Med Port Launches $500 Million Expansion of Truck Terminal to Double Capacity
Rabat – Tanger Med, Morocco's largest port and a key logistics hub in the Mediterranean, has announced a major investment exceeding MAD 5 billion ($500 million) to expand its dedicated truck terminal. The project aims to double the terminal's capacity to meet the growing demand from Morocco's booming trade, particularly with the European Union, the country's primary export market. Tanger Med handled over 516,000 trucks in 2024, marking an 8.1% increase compared to the previous year. According to the port's CEO, Mehdi Tazi, the expansion will eventually raise the terminal's capacity to one million trucks annually, keeping pace with Morocco's rising exports in sectors such as automotive, aerospace, and agri-food industries. Strategically located on the Strait of Gibraltar in northern Morocco, Tanger Med serves as a critical logistics platform, connecting to more than 180 ports worldwide. The port complex, operated by the Tanger Med Special Agency (TMSA), spans approximately 3,000 hectares, combining cargo and passenger terminals with integrated economic zones — all powered entirely by renewable energy. The expansion project is primarily financed through international loans, including MAD 2 billion $200 million from JPMorgan and about MAD 2 billion ($200 million) from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group institution. The remaining funds will come from Tanger Med's own resources. Read also: Tanger Med Rises to 17th in Global Port Rankings, Outpaces Global Rivals Tazi emphasized that the project reflects the port's role as a driver of Morocco's export growth to Europe. He noted that the port continues to play a vital part in advancing Morocco's position as a competitive industrial and trade hub in the region. Tanger Med already ranks first in Africa and the Mediterranean for container handling and is currently 17th globally. In 2024, the port handled around 10 million containers, marking an 18.8% rise compared to the previous year. Since its launch, Tanger Med has become one of Morocco's most ambitious strategic projects. It attracted cumulative investments of MAD 130 billion ($13 billion) by the end of 2024, split between public and private sectors. The Tanger Med Group continues to invest around MAD 1 billion ($100 million) annually to develop its infrastructure further, alongside investments from roughly 1,400 companies operating in the zone — predominantly in industrial sectors, with the largest Renault plant in Africa and the Middle East located on site. Tags: Tanger Medtanger med expansiontanger med port
Morocco World
2 days ago
- Morocco World
Post-Earthquake Reconstruction: Over 46,000 Families Restore Homes in Al Haouz
Rabat – More than 46,000 families have now rebuilt or rehabilitated their homes in the earthquake-hit province of Al Haouz. According to new figures shared after a government commission meeting held Thursday in Rabat, the total amount of financial support allocated for reconstruction has exceeded MAD 4.2 billion ($425 million), while emergency aid payments, set at MAD 2,500 per household per month, have reached over MAD 2.4 billion ($243 million). These numbers reflect the scale of the national response launched in the wake of last year's disaster. Chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch, the meeting brought together members of the Interministerial Commission overseeing the program. In addition to the thousands of homes now restored, the commission noted the near-complete dismantling of temporary shelters. From a peak of 129,000 tents, only 47 remain in place, with plans for full removal by September. Local task forces have also found on-the-ground solutions for 4,895 houses in isolated mountainous areas. At the start of the meeting, Akhannouch acknowledged the pace of the work and called on all departments and agencies to intensify their efforts to complete the remaining projects with urgency and efficiency. The commission also reviewed progress on essential infrastructure. Work on four sections of the RN7 highway currently stands between 25% and 65% completion. Meanwhile, construction crews have launched projects covering 165 kilometers of roads and 29 engineering structures, backed by a budget of MAD 920 million ($93 million). In the education sector, 269 schools have completed reconstruction or repair. In healthcare, rehabilitation has finished in 70 health centers. Authorities expect to finalize work on 35 additional centers by August 2025, and 14 more by October of the same year. In rural areas, the government has distributed livestock and barley to farmers, while also restoring agricultural infrastructure. Repair works on 43 damaged hydrological stations have concluded, and water networks have been reconnected in multiple douars. Tourism, another pillar of local life, has seen 229 establishments benefit from the first round of financial aid, totaling MAD 61.1 million ($6.2 million). A second round brought support to 95 more businesses, with an additional MAD 30 million ($3 million) disbursed. The meeting also addressed support for small merchants. A total of 1,600 shop owners who lost their places of business in the earthquake have received direct assistance. Despite the commendable scale of reconstruction and financial support, these efforts still fall short of addressing the immense and lasting consequences left by the Al Haouz earthquake. The sheer number of affected families and the extent of damage to infrastructure, homes, and livelihoods demand more sustained and comprehensive intervention. Many communities, especially in remote and mountainous areas, continue to face significant challenges in access to basic services and economic recovery. While crucial, emergency aid offers only temporary relief, and the pace of rebuilding essential public facilities such as schools and health centers remains slow, given the urgent needs. Moreover, the allocation of funds, though substantial on paper, struggles to keep up with inflation, rising construction costs, and the complex logistics of rebuilding in difficult terrain. The long-term social and economic scars require a strategy that goes beyond immediate reconstruction and focuses instead on resilience, sustainable development, and support for local economies to truly restore stability and hope for the people of Al Haouz. Tags: Al HaouzAl Haouz EarthquakeEarthquakeMorocco
Maroc
2 days ago
- Maroc
Home Reconstruction Completed for 46,650 Families in Al-Haouz
A total of 46,650 families have completed construction and rehabilitation work on their homes, as part of the Al-Haouz earthquake reconstruction and development program. The total amount provided to families for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their damaged homes exceeded MAD 4.2 billion, while the total amount of emergency aid, set at MAD 2,500 per month, was at over MAD 2.4 billion, according to a press release from the Head of Government's office, issued at the close of Thursday's meeting in Rabat of the Interministerial Commission in charge of Reconstruction and Development Program for areas affected by the Al-Haouz earthquake, chaired by Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch. During the meeting, the members of the commission attended a presentation by the Managing Director of the High Atlas Development Agency, highlighting the progress made in implementing the program at all levels. As a result, the number of remaining tents has dropped from 129,000 to 47, to be completely dismantled by next September, the press release adds, pointing out that land solutions were reached for some 4,895 dwellings located in areas with difficult access. In the infrastructure sector, work on the construction and upgrading of four sections of the National Road 7 trunk road is progressing at a rate of between 25% and 65%, according to the same source, and construction work was launched on 165 kilometers of roads and 29 engineering structures, for a total budget of MAD 920 million. As for the education sector, rehabilitation and reconstruction work on schools is ongoing, with work completed on 269 schools. Concerning the health sector, rehabilitation work has been completed on 70 health centers, and 35 health centers will be restored by end of August 2025, plus 14 health centers by the end of October 2025. With regard to the agricultural sector, the action plan involving free distribution of livestock and barley to farmers, as well as the rehabilitation of agricultural and economic infrastructure, has been fully implemented, the same source notes, pointing out that in the water sector, damage to 43 hydrological stations has been repaired, in addition to connecting several douars to a restored drinking water distribution network. In the tourism sector, 229 tourist establishments benefited from the first phase of aid, for a budget of MAD 61.1 million, while the second phase benefited 95 establishments for a budget of MAD 30 million. The meeting also provided an opportunity to review the operation to assist the 1,600 retailers whose sale points were affected by the earthquake. MAP: 10 July 2025
