The earthquake that occurred on September 8,2023, killed more than 2,800 people. The magnitude of the earthquake was 6.8 on the Richter scale, which for Morocco, was unusually large. The region is moderately active - meaning a huge earthquake only occurs once every few hundred years. According to researcher Ilan Kelman, “Earthquakes don’t kill people, collapsing infrastructure does”.
Moderate earthquakes could also be dangerous if the infrastructure is not sturdy. Around ⅓ of the city's population died and another ⅓ were injured mostly due to the infrastructure.
The Economic Strain of the Earthquake
The earthquake could cost the economy around 8% of Morocco’s total GDP, making it vastly impactful. According to The World Bank, the GDP of North Africa was $134.18 billion in 2022. An 8% loss would therefore circulate around the range of $10.7 billion. The European Commision announced on Monday they will be providing 1 billion Euros in order to help aid earthquake relief efforts in the region. Morocco’s government has stated they are actively accepting aid from four countries: Britain, Qatar, Spain and the UAE. France has announced on Monday morning that they will be sending 5 million Euros.
Morocco’s tourist capital, Marrakech, just recovered from the Covid 19 pandemic, so the earthquake could potentially reduce the amount of visitors into the country. Tourism contributes to 7% of Morocco’s national GDP - making it a rather important sect of the economy.
Indeed, Khalid Ait Abdelkarim, manager of Domaine Malika (a prominent hotel in central Marrakech), said the hotel has already received over 50 cancellations. As such, the only people staying there are reporters covering the topic.
How Can I Help?
There are multiple organizations that are helping the victims of the earthquake. They are: Banque Alimentaire (Food Bank), CARE, Direct Relief, High Atlas Foundation, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, International Medical Corps, and World Central Kitchen
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