Following a meeting with the General Secretary of the Amizmiz prefecture and the head of external services, the Coordination Committee representing Amizmiz earthquake victims has decided to call off the planned large-scale protest.
The protest was announced to call out about the plight of the earthquake-affected victims, drawing attention to their dire living circumstances, especially considering the worsening weather conditions and heavy rainfall that has been affecting their makeshift camps provided by the government.
The Coordination committee representing Amizmiz earthquake victims revealed that the cancellation of the protest was prompted, “by promises of initiatives and efforts to address the problems and alleviate the suffering of the affected population.”
“We have full confidence in the wisdom and sound judgment of those responsible for managing the earthquake disaster in the Al-Haouz region, and their ability to effectively implement the instructions outlined in the king’s statements, which embody His Majesty’s sincere concern for the well-being of the earthquake victims. Considering the evident willingness to respond to all the demands of the affected population, we have decided to cancel the call for protest,” explained the Coordination Committee.
The Coordination previously said that the region is on the verge of being declared a “distressed area.”
The meeting between the Coordination committee and the local authorities yielded a pledge to, “enhance the care of the camps by supplying more tents to those who haven’t received them yet or whose tents have been affected by the recent wind and rain.”
The local authorities also promised to connect the non-electrified camps to the power supply, enhance water supply, and sanitation facilities, and implement a nursery for children with qualified caregivers and guards.
The meeting between the representatives of Amizmiz and the local authorities also yielded a decision “to gradually replace school tents with mobile homes, and resolving the issues of transportation and accommodation for students in housing schools, as well as ensuring the provision of textbooks, materials, and tools for students in need.”
The authorities also pledged “to set up a field hospital in the near future.”
The meeting was fruitful on so many levels. Not only did yield in the aforementioned decisions, but also resulted “in the initiation of an assessment of the affected traders and professionals, coordinating with the Association of Traders to find reasonable solutions for compensating those who have suffered losses, and hold a meeting with officials from the Ministry of Trade soon.”
A decision was made to increase the number of beneficiaries from the support provided to the earthquake-affected victims, conduct a more rigorous review of the beneficiary lists, and expand the scope to include renters as well.
The authorities also agreed to conduct regular meetings with civil society to ensure effective follow-up and monitoring.
It is worth noting that there was a large-scale protest planned for today, but it was canceled after the successful negotiations of the dialogue committee with the local officials, yielding agreements and commitments to improve the housing conditions of the earthquake-affected victims.
The decision to protest followed an emergency meeting called on the 2nd by a coalition of civic activists to address the constantly shifting conditions within the camps and the dire living conditions of those affected.
The committee was bewildered by the ambiguity in government communication and the convoluted procedures outlined by local authorities in implementing King’s directives.
The Coordination Committee previously strongly condemned regional and local officials for their continued failure to address the struggles and needs of those affected by the earthquake.
Also, the committee harshly criticized the exclusion of a segment of affected individuals from receiving urgent aid.
Najia Ait Mhand, media and communication officer, previously told MoroccoLatestNews about the dire living conditions of earthquake victims, underscoring that the temporary tents were not suitable for long-term living. She also talked about the absence of mobile hospitals and medical services.