We Live it to God
The earthquake that struck Morocco on the night of September 8-9 significantly affected the Imazighen populations in the mountains and jeopardized part of the local economy. The mountain villages, already neglected before the earthquake and with one of the highest poverty rates in the Kingdom, have borne the double burden of their geographical and political isolation in the days following the quake. Two months later, a massive state plan is being implemented to rehabilitate the most affected areas, and disaster victims can hope to receive individual aid provided they are officially recognized as such. But beyond the extreme precariousness in which these populations are plunged —currently living under tents unsuitable for the winter cold—the inhabitants of the High Atlas are immersed in a collective mourning that has left the entire mountain region in suspense. Whole villages have been decimated, and the dead had to be quickly buried in mass graves. The catastrophe has left a traumatized population, more alone than ever: "We leave it to God because the government does not want to see anything."
Text by Léa Polverini
More than two months after the earthquake that struck several provinces in Morocco during the night of September 7-8, 2023, and claimed nearly 3,000 lives, in the town of Moulay Brahim, it is as if time has stood still. Abdeslam (on the right) lost his home and now lives in a tent with five other family members. No one knows when they will be able to return to a normal life.
A house has toppled following the earthquake in the Regraga neighborhood of Amizmiz. Many houses have been severely weakened by the earthquake, and the multiple aftershocks that continue to occur make their collapse increasingly imminent. In this neighborhood, no stabilization work has yet been initiated.
In Imi N’Tala, in the High Atlas, 80 people died in the earthquake. The village is completely destroyed: situated at the base of a cliff, it was crushed by the collapse of rocks that fell from the mountain. Al-Haouz Province.
Muhamad Aït Raïs, 66 years old, is still searching for his personal belongings under the rubble of his house, where four children, his brother's wife, and his cousin lost their lives. He was at a friend's house in Amizmiz when the earthquake struck. By morning, he returned to Imi N’Tala to find his family, but it was too late.
Malika (on the left), 38 years old, and Khadidja (in the center), 34 years old, lost several family members in the earthquake. 'We remain proud, but now we lack everything. The house has collapsed, it’s cold, sometimes it rains, there are storms, and the ground turns to mud... It’s very difficult for the children,' says Malika. Since the earthquake, the children of Imi N’Tala no longer attend school, which was destroyed.
Muhammad Aït Saïd, 29 years old, a resident of Imi N’Tala, is salvaging wooden beams from the rubble of his house to rebuild a kitchen in the camp where he has been living since the earthquake. He, who worked as a cook at a restaurant in Jemaa el Fna Square in Marrakech, has ceased all work and is now solely focused on caring for his family.
Moulay Lahsen, 58 years old, stands in front of the mass grave where his wife and four children are buried, having died in the earthquake. Like many residents of Imi N’Tala, he went alone with a pickaxe to recover his belongings from the rubble, but he burned everything: 'I don’t want to see anything anymore because it reminds me of my wife and children. I just want to forget.
Tombstones of Aïcha’s husband and grandson, both of whom died in the collapse of their home. Amizmiz, Al-Haouz province, Morocco.
Aïcha Eskssiwi, 56 years old (on the right). With her daughter, she set up their tent in front of their house, which was completely destroyed in the earthquake. Aïcha lost her husband and her 16-year-old son, Rita, both of whom died under the rubble. In Amizmiz, Al-Haouz province.
Since the earthquake, the displaced have been living in camps set up beside their collapsed homes. Here, in the Regraga neighborhood of Amizmiz, one of the main urban communes in the Al-Haouz region, residents have pitched their tents amid olive groves. In total, 59,674 homes have been damaged, with 32% completely destroyed.
Hassan still bears the scars of his injuries sustained during the earthquake in Moulay Brahim (Al-Haouz). Severely injured in his legs, he had to be hospitalized and still suffers from significant pain.
Omar's house, located in the heights of Rakte (Al-Haouz), is now uninhabitable, like many others in his neighborhood. In the village, four children have died.
Many houses did not collapse during the earthquake but remain uninhabitable due to cracks that have marred the walls and the regular aftershocks that continue to weaken them. In the two weeks following the earthquake, commissions of architects and engineers were sent by the Ministry of the Interior to assess the extent of the damage and mark with a red paint cross the houses with any visible cracks. Amizmiz, Al-Haouz Province.
A house toppled following the earthquake in the Regraga neighborhood of Amizmiz. Many homes have been severely weakened by the earthquake, and the numerous aftershocks that continue to occur make their collapse increasingly imminent. In this neighborhood, no stabilization work has yet been initiated.
In the Mellah neighborhood of Marrakech, Omar lives in an old house that was weakened by the earthquake. Previously living on the upper floor, he now sleeps in a small stone cell on the ground floor due to the threatening cracks. He has not yet received the promised monthly aid of 2,500 dirhams (approximately 230 euros) from the king to help affected families.
A narrow street in the Mellah neighborhood of Marrakech, propped up with supports to reinforce the walls of the houses. The Al-Omrane Corporation, a major player in urban development and housing in Morocco, has been tasked with managing the reconstruction. Criticized by both experts and residents, the company has been known for its work on projects that have already disfigured some parts of the medina with concrete blocks. The Mellah, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Marrakech, had been undergoing a rehabilitation plan since 2014.
In Marrakech, at the Mellah market, despite the collapse of several houses that resulted in 17 deaths, the shops reopened very quickly after the earthquake. Morocco saw a 7% increase in tourism in September compared to the same month last year.
Only about a month of work remained on the restoration of the Tinmel Mosque site, a dynastic sanctuary of the Almohad Empire (12th century) and a UNESCO World Heritage site, before it was to be fully renovated. However, the earthquake obliterated this restoration project, and new workers from neighboring villages are now on site to rebuild it.
A child stands in front of a traditional house destroyed in the earthquake in the Tigourramine village along the R203 road, which connects the quake- affected provinces of Marrakech-Safi and Tarroudant. In the aftermath of the earthquake, traditional buildings made of earth or stone were quickly blamed for their structural weaknesses, a claim that lacks scientific validity, as explained by architect Khalil Morad el Ghilali: « It has been said repeatedly that earth is the architecture of the poor. People associate a material with unsanitary conditions, while it’s really a question of construction: whether your house is made of raw earth or reinforced concrete, if it’s built without following seismic standards, it will collapse. »
According to Al-Omrane’s specifications, everything will be up and running within a year: a promise that only those who believe it would take seriously, and which makes experts grimace. For the more optimistic, it is unrealistic to expect reconstruction before five years.