Operation SALAMA to Protect Moroccans With Special Needs From COVID-19

Rabat – The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has launched the second phase of Operation SALAMA with the objective of protecting vulnerable communities in Morocco, particularly individuals with special needs and the elderly, against the risk of COVID-19 infection.

In collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Solidarity, UNFPA launched the initiative to support communities most exposed to COVID-19 infection.

The humanitarian operation includes the distribution of medical kits and hygiene essentials as a preventive measure against the spread of the virus.

The SALAMA kits will benefit social protection establishments in Rabat, Casablanca, Fez, and Tangier.

“These kits are intended to be a measure to strengthen and maintain the essential care and support provided to these categories, while adapting them to new needs, in this context of crisis,” the UNFPA and the Ministry of Solidarity declared in a press release.

To ensure the effectiveness of the operation, SALAMA includes a widespread campaign to raise awareness about the spread of the virus in the form of videos diffused throughout different media platforms, the release added.

The first phase of Operation SALAMA sought to protect pregnant women and local health professionals, especially midwives, from COVID-19. The first phase enjoyed the participation of public and private organizations.

Operation SALAMA adds to the Moroccan government’s efforts in securing public health, especially among vulnerable communities, against the spread of COVID-19.

Several humanitarian initiatives have been launched since the declaration of the sanitary state of emergency in Morocco on March 20, the Ministry of Solidarity’s action plan to protect children in vulnerable situations.

The plan targets Moroccan children who reside in social welfare centers and homeless children, offering them remote psychological support and facilitating communication between children and their educators at social welfare institutions.

Minister of Solidarity Jamila El Mossali said on March 22, that solidarity in the face of COVID-19 does not only depend on financial support, but also on a commitment to the procedures and measures of Morocco’s state of health emergency.