Agadir – Transparency Maroc has released a citizen-observation report assessing the state-led reconstruction program launched after the September 8, 2023 earthquake that struck Morocco’s High Atlas region, killing nearly 3,000 people and affecting an estimated 2.8 million across six provinces.
Through its Observatoire for the Grand Atlas Post-Earthquake Reconstruction Program, the report examined the implementation of the five-year emergency plan (2024–2029), announced with a budget of MAD 120 billion.
While approximately MAD 15 billion were allocated for the first year, the report points to a significant gap between the amounts officially announced and the funds that were actually mobilized and spent in affected areas.
Institutional delays and governance concerns
One of the central issues raised in the report concerns the creation of the Agence de Développement du Haut-Atlas (ADHA). Established by decree on October 4, 2023 to coordinate reconstruction efforts, the agency reportedly remained non-operational and without a director until October 18, 2024. According to the Observatoire, this delay weakened coordinated execution and slowed implementation during the program’s critical first year.
The report also criticizes limited financial transparency, stating that the government has shared only occasional and incomplete figures, without regularly publishing clear and verifiable data.
Slow progress in housing
Housing reconstruction remains one of the most sensitive aspects of the program. In September 2023, authorities reported a 32% total collapse rate for homes in affected areas. However, notes the report, “a few months later, this rate dropped to just 10%,” prompting questions in the report about “this 22% discrepancy.” The revision significantly reduced the number of households eligible for the MAD 140,000 aid package.
After the first year, only around 1,000 homes, approximately 1.7% of the 60,000-unit target, had been completed. While 63,000 families reportedly received direct financial assistance totaling MAD 1.7 billion, about 3% of the affected population was still living in tents, the report said.
Schools still closed
In the education sector, the Observatoire indicates that progress has been limited despite the urgent needs. Out of 530 schools damaged by the earthquake, 361 were still closed during the first year. Although 7,000 students were relocated, the objective of transferring 8,000 high school students was not met, as only 3,000 were actually moved.
By September 2025, authorities acknowledged that in the provinces of Al-Haouz, Azilal, and Chichaoua, 220 schools were still not functioning. The report adds that tenders had only recently been launched for 186 schools, while 34 were in the process of being upgraded, showing that reconstruction efforts in the education sector were still incomplete more than two years after the earthquake.
Health and economic recovery
The report indicates that health infrastructure continues to face major difficulties. In some areas, the system is described as being “at ground zero.” While a 45-bed local hospital operates in Al-Haouz province, the Observatoire points to a “lack of several essential surgical and medical specialties.” In addition, none of the 242 damaged protection-social facilities (EPS) had been restored during the programme’s first year.
Despite an estimated MAD 98 billion allocated for economic recovery, the report underlines structural and social challenges. The Observatoire notes a “total absence of environmental and gender considerations” in the program’s design and implementation. It also points to local authorities’ dominant role in aid allocation, often without clearly defined criteria, fueling protests and allegations of exclusion among affected residents.
