Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Morocco’s government has started the process of drafting legislation that would grant children orphaned by the September 8 earthquake the status of Wards of the Nation, with the goal of presenting the draft law to the upcoming government council.
King Mohammed VI had announced last week that children who lost their families to the disaster and were left without resources would be granted the status, meaning it would become the Moroccan government’s responsibility to ensure their care.
The conferring of the status came in conjunction with an emergency resettlement plan for the victims, as part of the country’s efforts to recover from the disaster which claimed nearly 3,000 lives.
According to a 1999 royal decree, the Moroccan state will undertake the care of Moroccan children granted the status after their guardians lost their lives defending Morocco’s interests.
The law also stipulates that the country would bear some or all of the expenses related to health, vocational training, and studies, if the children in question or their guardians do not have the resources to meet their needs.
Wards of the nation also benefit from free medical and surgical treatments and hospitalization in the country’s civilian and military health facilities, as well as scholarships to secondary and higher education institutions.
In addition to taking care of the orphaned children, Morocco also launched an emergency resettlement program, including providing direct financial aid to families who had their homes partially or completely damaged by the tremors.
In addition to destroying tens of thousands of homes, the earthquake has taken nearly 3,000 lives and left over 5,500 victims injured.
Read also: Earthquake: King Mohammed VI Chairs Meeting on $11.6 Billion Resettlement Program
