A devastating earthquake struck the Al Haouz region in Morocco on September 8, 2023, killing over 2,900 people and injuring more than 5,500. Three years later, some survivors have received aid to rebuild their homes, while others like Larbi Ait Jelloulat, a 72-year-old man living in Azgour, still wait for help due to bureaucratic issues. Ait Jelloulat, who saved for years to build his large home before it was destroyed, has been unable to prove he was a resident in the area and thus excluded from state support. The government claims that 54,425 homes have been built or rehabilitated since the earthquake.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
On September 8, 2023, a devastating earthquake struck the Al Haouz region in Morocco, killing over 2,900 people, injuring more than 5,500 and causing widespread destruction.
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earthquake → devastate → destruction
In the village of Ighermane in the High Atlas Mountains, about 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Marrakech, Mohamed Ait Belaid, 72, feels like things are actually going pretty well for him three years later.
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things → feel → him
He had been living in a tent after the earthquake but now resides in a newly built house, even though it's smaller than the one destroyed in the earthquake.
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it → live → earthquake
"I benefited from partial [state] support and received 80,000 dirhams [around €7,300] for rebuilding," he told DW.
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he → benefit → DW
"I added about 100,000 [€9,110] dirhams from my own pocket.
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I → add → pocket
And thanks to God, I like my new house and I'm comfortable in it.
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I → like → it
I'm at peace because my wife, my children and I are all healthy and I haven't lost any of them."
Around 40 kilometers away, in the town of Azgour, it's a different story.
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it → lose → Azgour
Larbi Ait Jelloulat, also 72, is sitting in front of a pile of rubble that was once his house.
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that → sit → rubble
"I want to know where my rights have gone," he said angrily.
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he → want → ?
"Who took what's rightfully mine?
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what → take → ?
For three years, I've been going from one department to another, from one complaint to another, from one petition to another, just looking for an answer.
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I → go → answer
Why have I been excluded?
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I → exclude → ?
Ait Jelloulat was formerly a council employee and saved for years in order to build the large home that was destroyed in the 2023 earthquake.
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that → save → earthquake
As far as he can tell, bureaucratic issues mean he must prove he was a resident in the area.
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he → tell → area
"My only dream was to spend the rest of my life in my own home, a rest after years of service," he explained.
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he → spend → service
"Now they say I'm not a resident …
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I → say → ?
Why some survivors received help while others didn't
Reconstruction seems to be happening faster in Ighermane, the village where Ait Belaid lives.
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Belaid → receive → Ighermane
About 90% of the village is rebuilt and most residents' lives are back to normal, said Omar Saeed from the Ighermane Association for Development and Solidarity.
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Saeed → rebuild → Development
Of the village's around 150 families, 114 received state support of some kind, although most also had to contribute some of their own money to rebuild.
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most → receive → money
Meanwhile, in Azgour, where Ait Jelloulat lives, there's been more to do.
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Jelloulat → live → Azgour
Azgour was the village most impacted by the earthquake in the area.
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Azgour → impact → area
There, about 76 families have had help with reconstruction, Ait Jelloulat said, while 56 others are still waiting for help.
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others → have → help
"What's more, the 76 families who rebuilt their homes in a different location are also having problems connecting to water and electricity," he added.
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he → rebuild → water
According to a March statement from the High Atlas Development Agency, or ADHA, which was established in October 2023 to bring help to affected areas, 54,425 homes have been built or rehabilitated and more than 3,000 homes are still under construction.
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homes → accord → construction
The government has given out more than 7.2 billion dirhams (€656 million/$770 million) to affected families.
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government → give → families
The sum includes funds to help rebuild as well as monthly emergency aid payments.
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sum → include → funds
In terms of the pace of construction, Marrakech-based architect Mohamed Belmejjad believes the state is actually doing fairly well.
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state → base → construction
"I believe the progress so far, relative to the timeframe, to be positive," he told DW.
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he → believe → DW
Given the circumstances, it would be hard for things to have gone much faster, he suggested.
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he → give → circumstances
Immediately after the earthquake, it was difficult to reach affected locations, especially remote mountain villages and towns.
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it → reach → locations
Then rubble had to be cleared before building could begin.
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building → have → ?
After that, other factors complicated reconstruction, including the distance of some villages from paved roads, the difficulty of transporting building materials in and debris out, problems with connecting water and power, and the need to relocate whole villages and construction sites to avoid dangers like landslides.
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factors → complicate → landslides
There's also a need to respect local building traditions, ensuring that construction materials are solid and will last.
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materials → be → traditions
"We also lack the necessary expertise here, whether that's in terms of architects, design offices, contractors or even the labor required for construction," Belmejjad pointed out.
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Belmejjad → lack → construction
Given all that has happened reconstruction could actually be considered ahead of schedule, he suggested.
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he → give → schedule
Why some earthquake survivors still haven't received aid
Despite that, the National Coordination for Al Haouz Earthquake Victims reports receiving complaints from more than 3,000 families who haven't had any state help.
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who → receive → help
Montasser Itri, a member of the organization, explains that some of these families were excluded because they had moved to other parts of the country to work and their national identity cards then show them as residents of places unaffected by the 2023 earthquake.
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cards → explain → earthquake
"The government is trying to make us, the victims of the Al Haouz earthquake, into mere statistics linked to the progress of construction and the removal of tents," Itri told DW, "rather than treating us as human beings and with dignity.
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Itri → try → dignity
That's why the coordinating committee is already demanding an independent and transparent investigation into how local authorities have handled the payouts.
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authorities → coordinate → payouts
In the past they've organized demonstrations outside parliament buildings in the capital, Rabat, to demand compensation and rehousing solutions and to accuse local authorities of failing to honor commitments.
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they → organize → commitments
…and 8 more, not listed.
