On Friday Sept.8th at 11:11pm, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit central Morocco; killed nearly 3,000 people and injured more than 5,600 people.
In response, Peace Winds Japan dispatched a team of six on September 11th including two nurses to Marrakech for conducting a needs assessment, implementing food and NFIs distribution, and searching for the potential partners to continue our support for the longer-term.
 

Destroyed houses in the town of Amizmiz

 
Immediately after arriving in Marrakech, the team visited the mountainous communities that are about 25 km East from the epicenter. It is about an hour’s drive from the nearby town of Amizmiz, which is also one of the major disaster-affected areas. There are no large scale evacuation centers like we usually see in Japan where everyone gathers in one place, but instead each affected family lives in a government-provided tent near their own half-destroyed houses.
 

Assessment by the PWJ team in evacuation tent-site of Amizmiz

 
In Tougga el Khair village, the underground water source that supplies villagers safe drinking water stopped after the earthquake and the people had no enough water for either drinking or any necessity for life. The people of Ait Ouzekri village insisted on the importance of solar lights as they had to move up on the hill from their original land and it is dangerous to move around the tents in the dark; as the surface of ground is filled with sharp rocks. Many others also requested for the blankets to sleep in the tents on over-1,000m high mountains.
 

Providing safe drinking water at Tougga el Khair village

Providing solar panels & lights at Ouzekri village

 
In addition to fulfilling these immediate needs of the affected populations, our medical team provided consultation and necessary medications in remote communities under the direction of medical personnel from a hospital in Marrakech.
Currently, the number of trauma patients is limited. However, because of the limited access to medical care, especially in the mountainous region, patients with chronic diseases are having more difficulties obtaining necessary medical attention. Once we announced that the medical team is here to give consultation, over 30 people gathered to talk to us; such as, “I’m pregnant, but I’m worried that my blood pressure might be high.” “I’ve been getting tired easily since the earthquake, but I can’t sleep.” “I was injured and received first aid, but they haven’t changed my bandages”…
“Although in many of the cases the symptoms did not require immediate treatment, many people complained of palpitations, stomach pain, and anxiety during the days in evacuation tents” says Nurse Kikuchi.
 

Nurse Kikuchi conducting medical consultation at Otaghari village

Nurse Minomi conducting medical consultation at Lahnayn village

 
Ten days have already passed since the disaster, and the situation in the affected area is changing rapidly. Necessary supplies such as water, food, blankets, and medical/sanitary supplies have begun to arrive even in the mountainous regions. But we, especially Japanese, know that it will take a long time to recover from the disaster. In order to continue providing support to the victims, it is essential to collaborate with local organizations that are familiar with the area. The team on the ground is now providing aid, at the same time, contacting various local organizations to look for potential future partners; not only to help people but to support the path toward recovery in the long-term.
 

Staff Kobayashi walking together with a victim of Ouzekri village