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Rabat – Pope Francis has once again extended his heartfelt condolences and prayers to the victims of the catastrophic earthquake that has claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people and left over 5,500 injured.
He made a heartfelt appeal on Wednesday, expressing his hope that God would grant Morocco and its people “strength to recover after this terrible ‘ambush’ they have endured,” Vatican News reported today.
After calling for prayers and support for Libya following the deadly storm that hit the country last week, Pope Francis said: “My thoughts also go to the noble Moroccan people who have suffered these movements of the earth, these earthquakes.”
The magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Morocco’s Al Haouz region on Friday caused massive destruction in several Moroccan regions, including Ouarzazate, Taroudant, and Chichaoua, among others.
Rescue and relief efforts are ongoing in the impacted communities. However, the rugged terrain of the Atlas Mountains has posed considerable challenges for the rescue teams in their mission.
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This was further exacerbated by the dispersed nature of the affected population, living in small, remote villages scattered throughout Morocco’s mountainous regions.
In addition, the disaster has made the already narrow roads impassable, making it difficult for relief teams to reach the earthquake-stricken population.
Countries across the world have rushed to offer support, including Spain, the UK, and Qatar, which have deployed teams to assist in rescue operations.
Many other countries, such as Egypt, Germany, and India, have expressed their willingness to provide aid.
The tragic earthquake was the strongest and deadliest quake to hit Morocco in decades, according to the US Geological Survey. Its impact was felt in Algeria, Mauritania, Spain, and Portugal.
