Lahcen from the mountain village of Moulay Brahim in the Moroccan province of Al Haouz has lost everything. The man is sitting in a corner of the small local clinic. He tells the AFP news agency that his wife, three daughters, and one son were buried under the collapsing house during the earthquake on Saturday night. The bodies of the daughters have been recovered, but the search is still ongoing for the other two. Lahcen says he can’t do anything at the moment and just wants to withdraw from the world and mourn.
Die Provinzen Al Haouz und Taroudant sind besonders betroffen von dem Erdbeben– I cannot reword
The rescue is proving to be challenging.
Das Epizentrum des Erdbebens lag gut 70 Kilometer südwestlich von Marrakesch im Atlasgebirge. In diese Regionen vorzudringen, sei für die Rettungskräfte extrem schwierig, sagt Anja Hoffmann, Büroleiterin der Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung in der marokkanischen Hauptstadt Rabat am Telefon zu ZEIT ONLINE. Einerseits sei es ein Glück, dass das Epizentrum nicht in einer größeren Stadt lag. Sonst wären die Opferzahlen wohl noch höher als ohnehin schon, vermutet Hoffmann. Andererseits seien viele der nun betroffenen Orte direkt in den Bergen gelegen, Zugang gebe es nur über steile und kurvenreiche Serpentinen. „Die Menschen dort fahren normalerweise schon drei oder vier Stunden bis zum nächsten Krankenhaus.“ Nun sei die Versorgung durch Erdrutsche und eingestürzte Brücken zusätzlich erschwert.
Von ihren lokalen Partnern vor Ort hört Politikwissenschaftlerin Hoffmann, dass es am Nötigsten fehle: Trinkwasser und Nahrungsmittel werden knapp, es braucht Decken für die Menschen, deren Häuser zerstört sind oder die sich aus Angst vor Nachbeben nicht zurück trauen. Viele haben schon die zweite Nacht im Freien verbracht. Zumindest funktioniere die Blutspende, zu der das Bluttransfusionszentrum in MarrakeschHoffmann reported that the population had been called upon. Volunteers even had to be asked to come back next week. There is a lack of storage facilities for the blood reserves.
The Technical Relief Agency is ready, others no longer expect deployment.
laut Hoffmann die Frage, wo die internationalen Hilfen bleiben, gestellt.Marokko„I cannot reword“
The chances of finding survivors under the rubble are diminishing. According to experts, the first 72 hours are crucial. Arnaud Fraisse, founder of Doctors Without Borders, said time is running out. A team from the organization is waiting in Paris for approval from Rabat. „People are dying under the rubble, and we can’t do anything to save them,“ Fraisse said. The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) in Germany is also prepared for deployment. Possible actions include rescue teams and water purification systems. However, no request for assistance has been received from Morocco yet, a spokesperson said. Without it, we cannot take action.
The organization I.S.A.R. Germany and the Federal Association of Rescue Dogs no longer expect to be deployed and are canceling their preparations. As time goes on, the window of opportunity to rescue trapped individuals also closes, according to a spokesperson for both organizations. „We are now reversing everything, clearing our camp, and unpacking our backpacks.“ Approximately 40 to 50 emergency personnel, including rescue specialists and medical staff, have been ready to depart since Saturday afternoon, prepared to drive directly from home to the airport in case of an alert.
On Sunday afternoon, Spain became the first country to announce the dispatch of search and rescue teams. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares spoke on Spanish radio about a „sign of Spanish solidarity“ and the „sense of friendship“ that connects the people of both countries. 56 members of the Military Emergency Unit (UME) and four search dogs are on their way. Several Spanish media outlets report that the Moroccan Foreign Minister had previously requested assistance in a phone call.
Mit Material von dpa, AFP und AP.