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Biden: ‘US stands by Morocco & The King at this difficult time’

9 Sep 2023

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Follow all updates of a deadly, powerful earthquake that struck Morocco, killing more than 1,000 people and causing widespread damage in and around the city of Marrakesh. MOROCCO RECEIVES OFFERS OF HELP FOLLOWING RARE QUAKE: The Associated Press has the story:

Biden: ‘US stands by Morocco & The King at this difficult time’

Newslooks- MARRAKECH, Morocco (AP)

MOROCCO RECEIVES OFFERS OF HELP FOLLOWING RARE QUAKE

UNITED STATES

President Joe Biden was among world leaders expressing sadness at the devastation facing the North African kingdom of Morocco after a powerful earthquake shook Marrakesh and its environs and killed more than 1,000 people.

Biden said Saturday that U.S. officials had been in contact with Morocco to offer help.

President Joe Biden speaks in the State Dining Room, on Sept. 6, 2023, at the White House in Washington. Biden hopes to demonstrate to the world at the upcoming Group of 20 summit and during a visit to Vietnam that the United States and like-minded allies can be more trustworthy partners than China on economic and security issues. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

“We are working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe, and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people. The United States stands by Morocco and my friend King Mohammed VI at this difficult moment.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken speaks during the Ukraine Recovery Conference in London, Wednesday, June 21, 2023. (Leah Millis/Pool Photo via AP)

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, “I express my deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction caused by yesterday’s earthquake in Morocco and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected. The United States is ready to provide any necessary assistance as Morocco responds to this tragedy.”

TURKEY

The Turkish Foreign Ministry said Ankara was ready to provide all kinds of support “to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Morocco”.

Turkey’s AFAD disaster management authority said 265 aid workers from AFAD, Turkish Red Crescent and other Turkish NGOs were ready to travel to the earthquake region in case Morocco calls for international assistance. It also said that Turkey was ready to deliver 1,000 tents to the affected areas.

CORRECTS NAME OF THE VILLAGE – A man stands next to a damaged hotel after the earthquake in Moulay Brahim village, near the epicentre of the earthquake, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Turkey, which lost tens of thousands of people in a massive earthquake earlier this year, was among those proposing assistance. France and Germany, with large populations of people with Moroccan origins, also offered to help. Israel’s Foreign Ministry said the government has been in touch with Moroccan officials about the possibility of providing help or rescue assistance.

CORRECTS NAME OF VILLAGE – People observe a burial prayer for people who have been killed by the earthquake, in Moulay Brahim village, near Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

GERMANY

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, speaking at a G20 summit in New Delhi, said the quake “has moved and worried many people here. We are all in the process of organizing support. Germany has also already mobilized its technical relief agency and we will do the best we can to help those who can be helped”.

Qatar

CORRECTS NAME OF VILLAGE – People prepare to burry a man who was killed by the earthquake, in Moulay Brahim village, near Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Elsewhere, Qatar offered “provide all necessary assistance to the affected areas to support their recovery from the effects of the earthquake,” according to a statement by Qatar News Agency.

United Arab of Emirates

The Emirates News Agency reported that Dubai police rescue teams were dispatching aid.

Jordan

King Abdullah II of Jordan also extended an offer of help.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis sent a telegram of condolences, expressing his “profound solidarity” with those affected by the catastrophe. Francis visited Morocco in 2019.

ALGERIA OFFERS TO OPEN ITS AIRSPACE

Algeria has offered humanitarian aid to neighboring Morocco after a powerful earthquake in the kingdom on Friday night left more than 1,000 people dead.

Women comfort each other after a burial for people killed by an earthquake, in Moulay Brahim village, near Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 1000 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

In an exceptional move, Algeria offered to open its airspace to allow eventual humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights to travel to and from Morocco. Algeria closed the airspace when its government severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 over a series of issues. The countries have a decades-long dispute involving the territory of Western Sahara.

People watch as security forces take part in a rescue operation after the earthquake, in Moulay Brahim village, near the epicentre of the earthquake, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune’s office said in a statement Saturday that Algeria is ready to offer humanitarian aid ‘’in solidarity with the brotherly Moroccan people, in case the authorities of the Moroccan kingdom express a wish for this.’’

The statement also offered to reopen the airspace, and condolences for the dead and ‘’deepest compassion’’ for the injured.

DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS OFFERS HELP

Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, says it is prepared to respond to the earthquake in Morocco that killed more than 1,000 people and left many more injured.

People were jolted out of bed Friday night by the magnitude-6.8 quake, a rarity in Morocco. In addition to the dead and injured, scores of structures not built to withstand such a powerful temblor crashed to the ground.

CORRECTS NAME OF VILLAGE A cracked mosque minaret stands after an earthquake in Moulay Brahim village, near Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. A rare, powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing more than 800 people and damaging buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakech. But the full toll was not known as rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy)

Avril Benoît, executive director of MSF-USA, said in a statement that people who live in the affected region are “key to the initial response” when searching for survivors.

“Earthquake survivors often require medical care such as surgery or dialysis, which can be a challenge when local health systems are affected by a disaster. Restoring health services and providing essential supplies also can be a priority at this stage. Our response will depend on the needs that are assessed on site.”

The dead are mostly in Marrakech and the five provinces near the quake’s epicenter, Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday morning.

WHAT TO KNOW:

— Morocco shaken by 6.8-magnitude earthquake; more than 1,000 dead

— Morocco’s African Cup qualifier postponed because of quake

— A look at deadliest quakes in the last 25 years