Press action medeor

To recap: On September 8, 2023, the most severe earthquake in over 100 years occurred southwest of Marrakesh. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the disaster, thousands of homes were destroyed, and a total of 300,000 people were affected by the natural disaster. Just a few days later, on September 11, 2023, massive mudslides and floodwaters inundated the region around the Libyan coastal city of Derna. More than 4,300 people died in the floods, and tens of thousands of families lost their homes.

Shortly after the disasters, action medeor and the local partner organization IBC were on the ground to help the affected people. “In the acute emergency phase, we supported affected families with the essentials,” reports Markus Bremers, press spokesman for action medeor, who was himself on-site in Morocco just days after the earthquake. “The earthquake had catastrophic consequences, especially in the mountains, where many houses were still made of mud and couldn’t withstand the tremor,” recalls Bremers. Action medeor, together with local partners, supported those affected with mattresses, blankets, clothing, and hygiene kits. Additionally, 300 winter-proof tents and 24 mobile toilets were provided. “Our aid enabled a total of 750 families to survive after the disaster,” Bremers concludes.

When two dams broke in Libya a few days later due to heavy rainfall, causing a flood disaster, action medeor was also on the ground with local partners. “That really strained our structures back then,” recalls Markus Bremers. In coordination with local authorities, action medeor organized the distribution of a total of around 30,000 hot meals to flood victims over several weeks and sent a relief shipment of medicines and medical equipment to the disaster area.

And the aid for both disaster areas continues to this day. In Morocco, action medeor is helping people in the devastated mountain villages to regain their livelihoods. The predominantly farming families are being supported in replenishing their livestock and refining agricultural products. In Libya, action medeor is contributing to improving healthcare for flood victims, internally displaced people, and migrants. The deployment of a mobile clinic and the support of existing healthcare facilities are planned. “Even a year after the disasters, people in Morocco and Libya still depend on humanitarian aid,” Bremers concludes, “which is why it’s important that we continue our work. The extent to which we can do so naturally also depends on the amount of donations we have available for our humanitarian projects.”

Those who wish to support action medeor's work can do so with a donation. This can be done online at www.medeor.de—where you can also leave an address for a donation receipt—or via IBAN DE78320500000000009993 at Sparkasse Krefeld, donation reference: “Emergency Aid Worldwide.”

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