Skip to main content
MSF ASSESSMENTS FOLLOWING EARTHQUAKE IN MOROCCO
War in Gaza:: find out how we're responding
Learn more

MSF ended our activities in response to the 2023 earthquake in December 2023.

In Morocco, MSF provided mental healthcare to people affected by the September 2023 earthquake.

On 8 September 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the rural area of the High Atlas Mountains, in the centre of the country. In the aftermath, we returned to Morocco, sending emergency teams to assess the humanitarian and medical situation in affected areas. With local groups covering essential needs, we addressed people’s mental health. We provided psychological support to people affected and to frontline volunteers. We also trained and supported local groups on psychological first aid. Some of these activities were handed over and the rest ended in December 2023.

MSF previously worked in Morocco providing support to migrants. We handed over these activities to local health and human rights organisations in 2013.

Our activities in 2023 in Morocco

Data and information from the International Activity Report 2023.

MSF in Morocco in 2023 Following a massive earthquake that shook Morocco in September 2023, Médecins Sans Frontières sent five medical and mental health teams to support the emergency response.
Morocco IAR map 2023

Remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains suffered major damage when the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck. Almost 3,000 people were killed, and many more injured. Our emergency teams focused on assessing the medical and humanitarian situation in the most seriously affected provinces, Al-Haouz, Taroudant and Chichaoua.

While most medical needs were met by the Moroccan authorities and other organisations, our teams noted significant gaps in psychological support for people affected by the quake, and therefore made mental health care our priority.

For two months, our teams provided mental health and psychosocial support in these three provinces, mostly to women and children, but also to volunteers, search and rescue teams and other people involved in the emergency response. We also conducted training on psychological first aid for members of Moroccan organisations.

Our teams worked to reach people living in the most remote areas, who had been cut off from services due to the damage to roads. Many of them decided to stay in their villages rather than seek refuge elsewhere.

In addition to offering mental health care, we distributed relief items, such as mattresses and blankets. We also launched an online health promotion campaign to engage with people seeking further mental health support.

At the beginning of December, we handed over some of our activities to CEFA, an international non-governmental organisation, and concluded our support to the emergency response.

 

in 2023
Filter Tips
  • Try a different country, year, format, or topic.
  • Clear one or more filters