On September 8th, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck many remote villages in Morocco. The earthquake was the strongest one to hit Morocco in sixty years, killing 2,900 people, and injuring more than 5,000 others. Over 50,000 homes in remote villages have been destroyed or partly destroyed. Many people are now staying in plastic tents provided by the Moroccan government, until further solutions arise.
King Mohammad VI has spoken out about spending 120 billion dirhams ($11.6 billion) to rebuild destroyed areas. The Moroccan government has been very selective when accepting help from other countries, only accepting from Qatar, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the UK. However, other countries who want to help, like France, Turkey, China, and the U.S. have been able to send help to non-governmental organizations.
Beyond the physical reparations, the mental health of victims, especially children, is at risk. Over 100,000 children have been affected by the earthquake. A group of volunteers has been trying to help young people deal with trauma by writing and drawing, but many children have responded with drawings of wrecked houses and dead animals.