Morocco Earthquake Support Fund

Dear Friends,

In the aftermaths of the terrible earthquake that stroke Morocco on 8th September 2023, Massimo, Giorgina and all the collaborators at Riad le Clos des Arts, the small riad in Marrakech they run since almost 15 years, have received hundreds of messages of moral support demanding them how better they could contribute to bring urgent help the population in remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains.

We, as Giorgina’s sisters, were wondering how better we could be of any help in this terrible moment. We thought that a good way to start was to set up a fund to centralise the help that all their direct friends, the friends of Riad le Clos des Arts and many others were offering. The basket fund should help to maximize the impact of the support they wish to extend to the Moroccan population and make sure that it goes straight to the earthquake victims.

Together, we can offer hope, healing, and a chance for these resilient communities to rebuild their lives.

BENEFICIARIES: For many years Giorgina, Massimo and Riad le Clos des Arts have been collaborating and supporting the Association El Amane for Women and Children (http://associationelamane.ma/).

The Association is committed to the development and improvement of women life conditions, in particular of those victims of violence, from disadvantaged environments or from rural remote areas.

Recently, the president Halima Oulami has been involved in the coordination of rural women cooperatives, mostly based in the worst hit areas. Halima herself was in Aghbar, one of those villages, when the earthquake happened. As soon as she got evacuated, herself and all her colleagues from the association started action to get immediately out in the field.

Their action is at the moment set on three different directions:

- Setting up tented camps in the neighbourhood of Sidi Youssef Ben Ali where the Association has their headquarters, in the outskirts of Marrakech, to host those who have lost their houses, feed them and provide first need items.

- Organising the trips of Helicopters to the municipality of Aghbar, one of the remotest villages on the Tizin’Test Area in the High Atlas with tents, blankets, medications and first need items to then air lift the injured to Marakech to be hospitalised. As of Monday evening, the 11th of September, 4 helicopters already reached Aghbar and came back with injured children.

- Organising trucks to reach the remote villages of Assif al Mal et Imindounit with Atlas with tents, blankets, medications and first need items and bring the injured to Marrakech to be hospitalised

COMMITMENT: our intention is to provide as much support as possible for the short and long term interventions that will be needed during the coming months and years.

In the short term our fund will support the deployment of FOOD, TENTS, BLANKETS, MEDICATIONS and ALL KIND OF FIRST NEED ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE REQUIRED to the most badly hit mountainous communities located between Loudaya and Chichaoua, that have seen all their houses and livelihood destroyed by the earthquake.

The Association El Amane will be the primary beneficiary but we will assess other possible beneficiaries in the coming days and months.

Your generosity can make a huge difference to those communities suffering in the remote High Atlas villages.

You can DONATE (even small contributions are welcome)

You can SHARE (spread the word along social medias, friends circles, etc)

You can VOLUNTEER (if you think that your expertise could be of help)

Giorgina and Massimo, with their past experience in emergency and development projects, aided by the riad team and the support team (their close family and friends) will supervise the deployment of the funds to guarantee that they directly go where they are needed.