11 to the inter-ministerial committee in charge of the general reconstruction and rehabilitation programme for the areas affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake.

Agadir24

Press release

Mr. Prime Minister chairs the 11th meeting of the inter-ministerial committee in charge of the general reconstruction and rehabilitation program for areas affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake:

• Construction and rehabilitation projects provided 49,632 housing units after issuing 55,142 reconstruction permits;
• 57,805 families benefited from the first payment of AED 20,000 to rebuild and rehabilitate their homes, 20,763 families from the second payment, 8,813 families from the third payment, and 939 families from the fourth and final payment of support;
• Disbursement of 11 months out of 12 of the 2,500 dirhams allocated as monthly support for families for the benefit of 63,862 families;
• Completion of the rehabilitation of 54 km of rural roads, and progress in the rehabilitation of National Road No. 7 along 64 km;
• Completion of the distribution of 353,830 quintals of barley and 28,000 heads of livestock to farmers and sheep breeders;
• 111 schools are ready to receive students for the current school year, and the rehabilitation work of 42 priority health centers has been completed.

Rabat, 2 September 2024

Head of Government Aziz Akhannouch chaired, on Monday, September 2, 2024, in Rabat, the 11th meeting of the inter-ministerial committee in charge of the general reconstruction and rehabilitation program for the areas affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake, during which positive and noticeable progress was recorded in implementing this program, at the level of various sectors, in implementation of the high royal instructions.

During the meeting, the Head of Government recalled the enlightened directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist and support him, thanks to which our country was able to respond quickly and effectively and to withstand the repercussions of this natural disaster. He praised the comprehensive mobilization and the positive pace of sectoral interventions, which were characterized by effectiveness and continuity in implementation of the high royal directives, explaining that the government continues with all dynamism and in accordance with the spirit of commitment and responsibility, to implement the various projects aimed at rebuilding housing and rehabilitating damaged infrastructure.

The Committee stressed that the State has provided all the conditions necessary to facilitate the process of rebuilding and rehabilitating damaged homes with the necessary efficiency and speed, by enabling families to receive financial support and obtain reconstruction permits accompanied by free technical assistance.

In this regard, 55,142 reconstruction permits were issued, and construction and rehabilitation projects were carried out in 49,632 damaged homes. Field interventions related to the removal of rubble from demolished homes covered a total of 46,352 homes. The committee explained that appropriate field solutions are currently being implemented for difficult cases.

In the same context, the committee confirmed that 57,805 families benefited from an amount of 20,000 dirhams as a first installment to rebuild and rehabilitate their homes, with a financial value estimated at 1.2 billion dirhams. It was also noted that 97% of the affected families benefited from the support, as 20,763 families received the second installment, 8,813 families benefited from the third installment, and 939 families benefited from the fourth and final installment.

In this context, the success of nearly 1,000 families in completing the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their homes was commended, and the need to urge the remaining affected families to accelerate the reconstruction and rehabilitation of their homes was stressed, so that they can benefit from the remaining support payments.

Regarding emergency aid for families, the committee recorded that 63,862 families received the amount of 2,500 dirhams allocated as monthly support for families whose homes partially or completely collapsed. It highlighted that 11 months out of 12 months of this aid have currently been disbursed, with a total value of 1.6 billion dirhams.

Regarding the rehabilitation of National Road No. 7, which is 64 km long, with a total budget of 665 million dirhams, the committee highlighted the progress of work on the four road axes that make it up, after the contracts related to the rehabilitation projects were awarded, starting with the road linking “Tizi N’Tast” and “Tafenkoult” in the Taroudant region, which is 30 km long, divided into two road sections, one of which (8 km) was started last April, and is considered the most advanced of the four sections in terms of progress, and the other (22 km) was started early last July.

The committee also explained the good progress of the rehabilitation works of the road linking “Wirkan” and “Thalath N’Yaqoub” in the Al Haouz region, in two sections with a length of 34 kilometers, one of which (17 km) was started on June 24, followed by the other (17 km) on July 18.

During the meeting, the committee reported the completion of a number of sectoral projects, part of the general reconstruction and rehabilitation program for the affected areas. In the health sector, the committee revealed the completion of rehabilitation work on 42 priority health centers, with a total budget of 168 million dirhams. This concerns 27 centers in the Marrakech-Safi region, 14 centers in the Souss-Massa region, and one center in the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region.

In the agricultural sector, the process of distributing free livestock to affected breeders will be completed during the current month of September, which began last January, as 28,000 heads have currently been distributed to cover all the needs of affected livestock breeders. Meanwhile, the committee recorded the completion of the distribution of 353,830 quintals of barley, which benefited 48,581 farmers. The committee also recorded the completion of the rehabilitation of 54 kilometers of rural paths, in addition to the current rate of reclamation of small and medium irrigation circuits reaching 97%.

Regarding the water sector, the committee highlighted the continuation of the programs to repair the damage to the water infrastructure, which cost 117 million dirhams. These programs concern in particular the repair of the damage to 43 hydrological stations of the water basin agencies, the repair of the damage recorded in the drinking water distribution networks, in addition to the completion and equipment of new holes and wells in the affected regions, and the rehabilitation of infrastructure related to dams.

In the education sector, the committee revealed that 111 schools will be ready after the completion of their rehabilitation works to receive students for the current school year. In addition, 110 educational institutions will enter service during this school year. It is expected that 1,287 schools will be ready after the completion of the rehabilitation and construction works, to receive students before the start of the 2025/2026 school year. It is noteworthy that the estimated cost of completing the rehabilitation and reconstruction program for the various damaged educational institutions is estimated at about 3.5 billion dirhams.

In the tourism sector, the committee examined 238 requests for financial support, out of 355 requests submitted by classified tourist accommodation establishments that were affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake, with a total budget estimated at 144 million dirhams. In this regard, 148 tourist accommodation establishments benefited from the first tranche of support, with a budget of 48 million dirhams. In addition to launching the disbursement of the second tranche of support, from which two establishments have benefited so far, with a financial value of 3.8 million dirhams.

In a related context, 1,155 files were studied to support traditional craft workshops, with a total budget of nearly 78 million dirhams. Within the framework of the first support tranche, 10 million dirhams were disbursed to benefit 1,047 traditional craftsmen. The second tranche was launched with 105 traditional craftsmen benefiting from 1 million dirhams.

The committee also pointed out that restoration work is continuing on a number of walls and historical archaeological sites that were damaged by the earthquake, with the aim of preserving and enhancing the national cultural heritage.

The inter-ministerial committee in charge of the general reconstruction and rehabilitation program for the areas affected by the Al Hoceima earthquake affirms its keenness to continue working according to the same approach based on exemplary governance, the components of which are speed, effectiveness and accuracy, so that this program becomes a model for integrated and balanced territorial development in our country, in implementation of the high royal directives, which he issued, may God preserve him, during the meetings of September 9 and 14, 2023.