Relief for Victims of the Morocco Earthquake

Before going any further, we just want to thank you in advance and say that any support, no matter how small, would go an incredibly long way. Moroccans are the kindest and most generous people. We can say from personal experience they give even what they don't have.

On the night of Friday, September 8th, 2023, Morocco was hit by the most powerful earthquake in its modern history. The last major quake to hit Morocco was in 1960 and destroyed the city of Agadir. This one was an entire level of magnitude stronger.

As of September 12 the death toll is around 3000, with thousands more wounded. While there is still much confusion over the level of destruction, particularly in rural areas, it seems that Marrakech was the urban center most badly hit. Many UNESCO sights have been heavily damaged and many homes in the old quarter are gone. Outside of Marrakech, rural areas in the Atlas Mountains where many people live in clay homes have particularly been hit. We don't know the extent of the damage in these regions as the roads leading to them are inaccessible. The government is doing its best to mobilize rescue teams and also address the issues of housing, food, and sanitation for the thousands who lost their homes. Morocco has offered its disaster relief teams to aid many countries during recent crises, and fortunately, these actions haven't been forgotten, with much of the international community already pledging support.

We hope to initially raise funds for immediate short term relief for families that necessitate medical treatment and help meeting basic needs. Amazigh families living in the Atlas mountains (the people indigenous to North Africa and our family's ethnicity) have been particularly impacted by this devastating event.

In the coming weeks, these families will need support rebuilding, and we hope to aid with that as well. All money donated will be dispersed directly to trusted local contacts. Our father is there and will travel down to the worst hit areas including our family village. We will provide updates frequently on this page.

Thank you,

Sammy Houdaigui + Sophia Houdaigui