{"id":8620,"date":"2024-10-17T11:33:26","date_gmt":"2024-10-17T10:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/?p=8620"},"modified":"2024-10-17T11:33:27","modified_gmt":"2024-10-17T10:33:27","slug":"al-haouz-earthquake-survivors-to-protest-over-lack-of-compensation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dzwatch.dz\/?p=8620","title":{"rendered":"Al Haouz Earthquake Survivors to Protest Over “Lack of Compensation”"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Algiers<\/strong> \u2013 The survivors of the Al Haouz earthquake<\/strong> in the regions of Ighil, Chichaoua, and Taroudant are preparing to stage protests on Monday, October 21, 2024<\/strong>, to express their frustration over the dire living conditions they have endured for more than a year in plastic tents and the failure to provide promised compensation and support<\/strong>. The demonstrators accuse the authorities of mismanagement and irregularities<\/strong> in the processing of compensation claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The National Coordination of Al Haouz Earthquake Victims<\/strong>, along with several civil society organizations from the affected regions, has called on all excluded families and supporters<\/strong> to participate in two protests<\/strong>, scheduled to take place in front of the regional government offices in Marrakech-Safi<\/strong> and Sous-Massa<\/strong>, starting at 11 a.m. on Monday<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Response to \u201cUnbearable Conditions\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Houcine El-Messahat, a member of the Civil Coalition for the Mountain<\/strong>, one of the participating organizations, described the protests as a natural response to unacceptable living conditions<\/strong>. “Protests have persisted in several regions affected by the Great Atlas earthquake<\/strong> due to the real suffering caused, and the new calls for demonstrations reflect the deteriorating situation in Al Haouz, Chichaoua, and Taroudant,” El-Messahat told the newspaper Sout Al Maghrib<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He explained that many survivors are living in harsh conditions<\/strong>, particularly with the onset of winter, and noted that the support provided so far is insufficient<\/strong> to meet the basic needs of the affected families. “The pace of reconstruction has been painfully slow<\/strong>, further deepening the suffering,” he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

El-Messahat emphasized that the failure of the government<\/strong> to expedite reconstruction efforts has worsened the crisis. He recalled that the Civil Coalition had warned of these issues immediately after the earthquake and later raised them in an open letter to the Prime Minister<\/strong> six months after the disaster. “We have demanded urgent action to restore normal life to the affected areas and rebuild what the disaster destroyed,” he said. “Unfortunately, our calls have gone unanswered.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He pointed out that while the earthquake was a natural disaster<\/strong>, the neglect of mountain regions<\/strong> before the quake and the slow response afterward<\/strong> are responsibilities that fall squarely on the Moroccan government. “Successive governments have implemented unfair policies toward mountain areas<\/strong>, and the current administration must bear full responsibility for the post-earthquake response<\/strong>,” El-Messahat stressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protests to Include Three Affected Provinces<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

According to a statement from the National Coordination of Al Haouz Earthquake Victims, participants from three provinces<\/strong> will take part in the upcoming protests. These include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n