2023-09-11 20:12:00
Thierry Debecker is the boss of “Resto des Belges” in Essaouira. In a region spared by the earthquake. And yet, for several days, the streets have been empty even though normally the tourist season is in full swing.
Thierry Debecker ©DR
“Everyone left the city to help the victims. For example, there are many women who arrive from all corners of Morocco with a wood-fired oven and who, on site, make thousands of loaves of bread. Others produce mint tea there.”, he testifies. “Many have family there. Otherwise, people who don’t go there leave water, oil, sleeping bags, tents, blankets, etc. in parking lots and dump trucks of volunteers remove and take everything to the disaster zone. ”
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The restaurateur takes the opportunity to reframe certain preconceived ideas. “It is false to say that Morocco refuses international aid. We simply cannot welcome all the international aid right away. There are rocks on the roads, the affected villages are inaccessible. First you have to clear everything out. And take the time to organize coordination between delegations from other countries and target specific needs.”
Josiane De Leener is responsible for the Amicale des Belges in Morocco.
“We talk a lot about Marrakech but it is not the city that has been most affected. The buildings there are solid, rather new. The horror is much more obvious in the surrounding villages, especially those located in the mountains. Entire villages are destroyed. The houses are piles of stones or bricks barely held together by mud. In these areas, the dead are transported on donkeys.”
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The question of rehousing these people is already thorny: “These people have lost everything. And in Morocco, there is no home insurance.”
“At this stage, we have not yet been informed of any Belgian deaths or injuries,” adds Josiane De Leener.
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