Morocco and Arab Countries Mobilize to Secure Abandoned Wells After Rayan Tragedy

Rabat – The case of little Rayan, which had the world watching breathlessly as teams of rescuers and volunteers raced against the clock to save a five-year-old boy who had been trapped in a well for days, has sparked action throughout Morocco and the Arab world to secure abandoned wells in an effort to prevent similar tragedies from occurring again.

Starting with the very place where the unfortunate incident took place, the hole where Rayan fell is being buried, as works continue to restore the rest of the excavation site, where massive digging operations took place.

Activists and authorities throughout Morocco have also started taking action to secure dangerous wells. The prefect of the Nador province, for instance, issued instructions to secure all abandoned wells and water holes in the region.

In Nador and other provinces in the country, citizens have been called to report any abandoned wells that they are aware of, as authorities and citizens seek to prevent the occurrence of another tragedy.

These calls were amplified following the death of another five-year-old boy who died shortly after Rayan, after he reportedly jumped down another abandoned well saying that he wants to “imitate Rayan,” unaware of the dangers of doing so.

Amid the nationwide mobilization to avert the occurence a similar incident, officials from the Ministry of Equipment, Transport, Logistics, and Water said that the ministry has issued strict instructions to secure all the abandoned wells in the country.

The ministry will also start imposing harsh sanctions on any violators, in addition to already existing punishments that target illegal well owners in the case of wrongful death.

The ministry said it will be holding meetings with local authorities starting this week to determine the best way to go about the nationwide operation, noting that the aim of the effort is to either strengthen and renovate wells to accommodate protections for children and animals, or completely bury them if they are abandoned.

The campaigns did not stop within Morocco’s borders, however, as several Arab countries have started to secure their own wells and holes.

Algerian authorities have instructed all owners of traditional wells to take the proper measures to secure their wells, not only for the sake of protecting citizens, but roaming animals as well.

Local authorities in the North African country have said that they will form special committees, who will be randomly inspecting wells and imposing harsh fines and punishments on violators.

Algeria was similarly shaken in 2018, when an accident very similar to Rayan’s occurred, as a young man was found dead in a 30 meter deep well, after 9 days of excavation efforts to rescue him.

Saudi Arabia is another country that has launched a similar campaign, fortifying and securing thousands of wells around the country.

The plight of Rayan trended online during the 5-day rescue operation, and it is now putting the spotlight on the issue of abandoned wells and holes, which are pervasive throughout the Arab world, especially in more remote areas.

While the digging of wells in Morocco and other countries is regulated by laws and bureaucracies, this does not stop unregulated digging from occurring. According to reports and people familiar with the field, there are thousands of such wells.

Activists and experts have said that the state and local authorities must also share responsibility for the pervasiveness of these wells, along with the people actually digging them.

More strict mechanisms for oversight and punishments are being suggested as a way to get the phenomenon under control.

In addition to this new attention being brought to illegal wells, Rayan’s story also shone a light on the plight of other children in the region, with various campaigns to save children such as Fawaz al-Kaftan gaining significant prominence online.