Christians from around the world are on the ground bringing urgent relief in Morocco, following the huge earthquake there. The epicentre of the quake was in the Atlas Mountains, about 40 miles southwest of the busy tourist city of Marrakech. Thousands are dead and injured.
A representative of the Bible Society in Morocco said: ‘Your prayers and concern mean a lot to us here in Morocco … I am in the affected area, working alongside teams from different churches. We are delivering food supplies to believers and their families, and we are also assessing the needs for the near future.’
Andrés Prins, a Christian living in Morocco, told Spanish news website Protestante Digital. ‘Many old houses in Marrakech and especially in the villages in the Atlas Mountains have suffered significant damage. We were 64 kilometres southeast of Marrakesh visiting acquaintances with Christian friends who had come from Rabat,’ said Andrés. ‘We saw some of the devastation and we now plan to bring humanitarian aid together with other local Christians.’
He added that in Marrakesh, ‘a co-ordination group has been formed which has been bringing in more people and agencies, mostly Christian, with the help of churches from abroad. The main local church here is helping as much as it can, although without clearly identifying itself as Christian.’
Evangelical organisations established in Spain told Protestante Digital that they have begun to contact colleagues in Morocco to explore ways of offering relief. The Christian missionary agency PM International and the Ibero-American network Comibam have already launched an aid campaign.
Elsewhere, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid is organising support. Imperishable food and hygiene products have already arrived and the team on the ground is now planning the delivery of relief to the worst-affected areas. The charity is also launching a fundraising campaign in support of its mission in Morocco. Executive Director Márton Juhász emphasised that donations will not be exported from Hungary, but will be purchased in Morocco and delivered in hired vehicles.
