The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) launched on Tuesday an emergency appeal to collect over $100 million to scale up the rescue and relief efforts of the Moroccan Red Crescent in the regions affected by Friday night’s devastating earthquake.
The appeal comes following an initial allocation of over a million dollars by the IFRC’s Disaster Response Emergency Fund (DREF) to support the rescue efforts.
“We expect this initial release of money to make a difference on the ground. It will be used to buy essential supplies locally in Morocco,” Regional Director of Middle East and North Africa for the IFRC Hossam Elsharkawi said. “The people in the Moroccan Red Crescent know their communities best, and know best what is needed.”
Immediately following the earthquake on Friday night, Moroccan Red Crescent forces were dispatched to the ground to aid in the rescue efforts in close cooperation with local authorities and the IFRC, an official statement said.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the official death toll of the earthquake stands at 2,901, with over 5,000 people injured. The toll is expected to continue increasing as rescue operations continue, and especially as rescuers start reaching more rural and difficult-to-reach regions.
Tens of countries have offered support and humanitarian aid to the North African country in the wake of the disastrous earthquake, although only a few teams from Qatar, the UAE, Spain, and the UK have made it to Morocco to aid in the rescue efforts so far.
