Bureaucratic obstacles: DRK’s aid transport was unable to commence in the disaster-stricken area.

The planned relief transport by the German Red Cross to the earthquake-stricken areas of Morocco, scheduled for this Thursday, has been canceled. „Due to reasons beyond our control and the control of our partners in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, new regulations and requirements were announced at short notice, making it impossible for the plane to take off today,“ stated a communication from the German Red Cross.

Diese Entwicklungen würden zutiefst bedauert, weil die Menschen vor Ort nach dem schweren Erdbeben dringend Hilfe benötigten. Die Frage, ob die Änderungen von deutscher oder marokkanischer Seite stammten, beantwortete das DRK auf Anfrage nicht.

The Moroccan government is facing increasing pressure to accept more international assistance. So far, the North African country has officially only accepted support from four countries. „It is important that in times like these, aid is provided based solely on the level of need and that humanitarian work is supported from all sides,“ emphasized a spokesperson for the Red Cross. Therefore, efforts are being made urgently to eliminate the delay that has arisen in the short term.

Vom Flughafen  Leipzig/Halle sollte am Donnerstagmorgen eine Maschine mit insgesamt 36,6 Tonnen Hilfsgütern abheben – darunter mehr als 3000 isolierende Bodenmatten und 550 Familienzelte. Tausende Häuser in dem Land seien zerstört worden. Dadurch seien viele Familien obdachlos geworden und müssten die derzeit kalten Nächte im Freien verbringen.

It is still expected that the number of victims is likely to continue increasing.

The earthquake on late Friday evening was the worst in decades in Morocco. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than 300,000 people in Marrakesh and surrounding areas have been affected by the disaster. The Moroccan Ministry of Interior has reported a total of 2,946 deaths and 5,674 injuries so far. It is still expected that the number of victims will continue to rise. The hope of finding survivors after the natural disaster is now very low.