National Agency Doubles Staff for Wildfire Damage Expertise

Minister of Housing, Urbanism, City, and Land Planning Mohamed Tarek Belaribi recently chaired a coordination meeting focused on addressing the damage to buildings affected by the country's recent wildfires. Held at the ministry's headquarters, the session brought together ministry officials, the Director General of the National Technical Control Organization for Construction (CTC), housing managers, and directors of CTC agencies from the affected wilayas. The primary goal was to ensure operational follow-up for the entire process, encompassing technical field assessments of building damage and the subsequent disbursement of financial aid to families impacted by the fires.

In a concrete step to accelerate relief efforts, Minister Belaribi issued directives to significantly enhance the assessment process. He ordered that the number of engineers from the CTC be doubled and deployed to the affected wilayas within a maximum of 72 hours. This measure aims to bolster the technical expertise and field monitoring operations, ensuring a swift and thorough evaluation of all damaged structures.

Further outlining the comprehensive support plan, the Minister instructed housing directors in the concerned wilayas to finalize the necessary decisions for granting financial assistance to affected families. The Crédit national de l’habitat (CNEP-Banque) is tasked with the disbursement of these funds, adhering to legal procedures. Concurrently, Mr. Belaribi mandated the mobilization of essential human resources for both housing and public equipment directors to initiate the cleaning and rehabilitation of homes and public facilities damaged by the wildfires, underscoring a multi-faceted approach to recovery.

This coordinated response, articulated around rapid damage assessment, family compensation, and the restoration of public and private property, highlights the government's commitment. A subsequent coordination and evaluation meeting is scheduled within the next 72 hours to review the execution of these ministerial instructions, assess progress in supporting affected families, and monitor the ongoing rehabilitation efforts.