Evening update

Good evening readers.

Several days after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Morocco, search and rescue operations continue as it reaches the end of the 72-hour period critical for finding survivors.

Rescue teams from Spain, the UK, and Qatar have now joined Moroccan operations on the ground.

The latest death toll from the quake has surpassed 2,800 lives, with thousands of others injured. Late on Monday, Algeria said it allocated three aircraft to transport a rescue team of 93 personnel as well as humanitarian aid to Morocco, awaiting the green light from the kingdom.

Both Algeria and Tunisia have long-established and well-regarded search and rescue teams and both countries have prepared those teams and made them available to Morocco. 

But Rabat has hesitated to accept the offers of help from those countries, and its response to the earthquake is not being coordinated by the UN’s OCHA, which typically coordinates the international response to disasters.

The earthquake has particularly affected the indigenous Amazigh community of the Douars, the small villages sitting on the High Atlas Mountains.

With their homes being simple in design, they were left vulnerable and easy to crumble as soon as the earthquake struck.

Outside of Morocco, the diaspora community in the US has been hooked to their phones, watching on with a sense of helplessness as the death toll continues to rise. However, despite being separated by thousands of miles of oceans, Moroccans in the US have rushed to fundraise for relief efforts taking place in the country.

MEE is going to be taking a pause in coverage for the night, but if you want to stay updated on the latest news in the Middle East and North Africa, follow us on X, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.