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Rabat – Minister of Transport and Logistics Abdelkader Amara has revealed that a concerning number of Moroccans living in remote regions are struggling to cope with harsh cold snaps and severe weather every year.
During a recent parliament session, Amara said that around 27 regions in Morocco suffer a significant drop in temperature. These regions are home to around 736,000 citizens.
The minister shared the worrying statistics while responding to a query from Popular Movement MPs about the measures the government is taking to assist people living in inaccessible areas.
He added that the number of regions affected by cold snap increased from 17 provinces to 27 regions.
Read Also: Morocco Takes Measures to Tackle Cold Snap in Al Hoceima, Mountainous Areas
The minister also outlined plans to respond to the severe weather. He explained that the government has mobilized 2,480 doctors and nurses who will be dispatched to 36 medical convoys, along with 745 medical units and 465 ambulances.
However, the president of the Moroccan Association of Environment and Solidarity Ambassadors, Ikbal Hafidi, does not believe that the measures are sufficient.
The activist told Morocco World News that there should be a “shared responsibility” between the government and human rights activists, calling for collaboration to achieve better results in helping people in Atlas regions.
“The government cannot do it all,” she said. She called on associations and organizations to help with initiatives and campaigns to assist people in faraway places “who need our help more than ever.”
Hafidi said that her association, located in Temara, about 22 kilometers from Rabat, launched the “warmth” campaign to collect “second-hand clothes.” The association will distribute clothes and blankets to people living in the mountainous areas in Midelt, a region between the Middle Atlas and High Atlas mountains.
The campaign, the first of its kind for the association, will start from December 13-15.
The initiative on the association’s Facebook page currently has 5,000 reactions, with more than 1,400 people interested.
The association also put in place a hotline (0668-815498) for people interested in contributing clothing for children, the elderly, and people suffering from the cold snap in the region.
