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Rabat – In the aftermath of the devastating magnitude 7 earthquake that struck Morocco last week, several countries, including France, have extended offers of assistance to aid the stricken regions.
However, some French media outlets have raised concerns about the perceived delay in Morocco’s response to France’s aid offer, leading to speculations of a possible refusal.
Samira Sitail, a Moroccan journalist and former Director of Information at 2M TV channel, appeared on French news channel BFMTV on Sunday to shed light on the situation and dispel misconceptions surrounding Morocco’s response to international aid.
Sitail did not mince her words when addressing the controversy and firmly expressed her concerns. “It is very grave to say on television that Morocco is refusing aid from a country. It is like an appeal to rebellion among the Moroccan population,” she said.
“We are telling Moroccans, ‘We want to help you, but your government won’t let us.’ I consider this extremely serious, and it needs to be corrected,” she explained.
She emphasized that the issue at hand was not Morocco’s refusal of aid but rather the fact that Moroccan authorities had not yet responded to the French aid proposal.
Morocco has received aid offers from numerous countries but has so far accepted aid from Spain, the UK, Qatar, and the UAE.
Sitail highlighted the international response already underway in Morocco, mentioning the presence of Spanish firefighters, as well as British, Qatari, and Emirati aid teams actively engaged in disaster relief efforts.
She noted that no other countries, including the United States, India, or Russia, had taken offense at Morocco’s measured response to the aid offers.
Read also: The Devastating Morocco Earthquake: 78 Hours On
Responding to the accusation that Morocco had not promptly accepted French aid, Sitail clarified, “No, those are not the facts; it doesn’t reflect the facts.” She pointed out that King Mohammed VI had expressed gratitude to all countries that had offered their help.
When questioned about differences in communication styles between Western countries and Morocco, Sitail downplayed the idea that this was the core issue. She emphasized that the primary concern should be the politicization of the earthquake in Morocco by certain French media outlets.
Sitail criticized the media’s shift towards political discussions unrelated to the earthquake, including topics like the situation in Algeria, Western Sahara, immigration, and the security of France.
She asserted that these tangential issues were diverting attention from the essential matter at hand, which is providing disaster relief to the people affected by the tremors.
Sitail reiterated that Morocco would welcome assistance from any country, including France, once the country expressed a specific need. She emphasized that it was essential for partners and allies to set aside political posturing and offer sincere help, much like NGOs currently assisting without political motives.
The tragic earthquake hit the Al Haouz region, located between Marrakech and Agadir, at around 11:13 PM on Friday, claiming the lives of more than 2,000 people and injuring a similar number. Rescue operations are still ongoing, with the death toll expected to continue to rise.
