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.
“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.”
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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
