Weekly Action - 11 September 2023 - Morocco Earthquake
Morocco Earthquake
More than 2000 people are now known to have died in the devastating earthquake that struck Morocco late on the evening of Friday 8 September, and the number is still rising. Thousands more are injured and many more still missing. Locals are digging through the ruins, searching for survivors and recovering bodies. The epicentre of the quake was in a remote region in the Atlas Mountains, south of Marrakesh. It is the country’s deadliest quake in 60 years. Local villages have been completely devastated. Thousands of homes, local health clinics, community buildings and over 585 schools have been destroyed or significantly damaged. Families have been devastated, like the family of Hamid ben Henna. The BBC reports how the family was having dinner when his eight-year-old son, Marouane, went to fetch a knife from the kitchen. Without warning the earthquake struck. Fatima, Marouane's mother said: “There was no light. We were in darkness and under the dust. We heard the quake, rocks and walls falling. But at first we didn’t realise what was going on.” Fatmia, Hamid, their other son and daughter managed to get out. But Marouane was tragically killed when the house collapsed on top of him.[1]
Such terrible natural disasters are devastating wherever they strike. But, they are much more deadly when they hit developing countries like Morocco, that are already poorer and more vulnerable. There are multiple studies that show that natural disasters are much more deadly and cause far greater loss of life and suffering when they hit less developed countries, than when they occur in rich nations. Developed nations have large emergency and healthcare systems, better infrastructure, and safer (properly enforced) building regulations, all of which help significantly reduce the casualties. Indeed, there have been numerous cases where the very same tropical storms that have been devastating in Latin America and the Caribbean, caused far fewer deaths when they hit the more developed Unites States.
Tackling the underlying poverty that leaves nations vulnerable to disasters
The governments of the world therefore, need to provide both short-term emergency relief for those impacted by disasters like this latest terrible earthquake in Morocco, but also long-term development support to help lift nations out of poverty, and make them more resilient to such shocks. This very much reflects what we already know as Christians, that the Bible is abundantly clear that we should care for all those in need. As James tells us, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1: 27). Arise’s 4 Shifts Report and Campaign looks at this and other lessons from the Bible, and at what has worked to successfully lift nations out of poverty in the past. It finds that two key shifts are essential. 1) Nations need to develop strong and fair national economies to create jobs and wealth. 2) They can then tax these to provide social spending and basic services like healthcare and education, to ensure all benefit, not just the richest in society. All nations that have developed successfully have followed this route, and the international community should do all it can to support other nations to take the same approach. This is the only way to tackle the root underlying vulnerability of poverty and make nations more resilient to tragic disasters like the earthquake in Morocco.
Will you take action as part of Arise’s 4 Shifts campaign this week, and urge nations around the world to respond to the immediate needs of those whose lives have been devastated in Morocco, and to provide generous long-term support to all nations to lift themselves out of poverty?
Take Action
Speak out in advocacy
Write to Andrew Mitchell, the UK’s minister for international development, in your own words asking the UK to take urgent action to:
1. Scale up the emergency aid the UK is providing to Morocco to meet the immediate needs of those whose lives have been devastated by this tragic earthquake. The UK has moved fast and is one of only four countries getting emergency aid to Morocco as of Monday 4 September, so do congratulate him for this, but more can always be done.
2. Scale up UK overseas aid back to 0.7% of GNI, and focus this on supporting nations to develop a proactive national industrial and economic development strategy to create a diverse national economy that progressively moves up the value chain from agriculture to manufacturing to services to the knowledge economy. This will tackle the root underlying vulnerability of poverty and make developing nations more resilient to tragic disasters like the earthquake in Morocco.
Write to him at:
The Rt Hon Andrew Mitchell MP
Minister of State for Development and Africa
FCDO
King Charles Street
London
SW1A 2AH
Pray
Pray for all those whose lives have been devastated by the earthquake in Morocco. Pray for healing for all those who have been injured. Pray for love and comfort for those who grieve, and that they might know the Lord drawing close to them at this time. Pray for the survivors, for shelter, warmth, clothes, food, medical and psychological support.
Give
The Disaster Emergency Committee (DEC) of UK overseas humanitarian aid agencies coordinates appeals and responses to tragic disasters like the earthquake in Morocco. Give to the DEC and to Christian organisations like Christian Aid, Cafod, Tearfund or World Vision who are members of the DEC and support communities devastated by disasters around the world.
Practical Action
Grow the movement of Christians calling for change by sending this action on to a friend and encouraging them to sign up to receive weekly actions from Arise directly.
Ethical Consumption
Help developing nations lift themselves out of poverty, and therefore become more resilient to tragic disasters like the earthquake in Morocco, by buying products and services from countries in the developing world, thus boosting their economies.
Encourage us and others by letting us know what actions you have taken – message us at info@ariseuk.org, or via Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Find out more
It’s great to take this action as individual Christians, but even better to come together with others to pray, discuss, worship, learn, have fun and take action together. Contact Arise if you are interested in joining or starting a local Arise group in your church or area. If you are already in an Arise group, take this action to your wider church, and get them all to do it too.
Find out more about why the world needs 4 Shifts to transition to a green and fair global economy in Arise’s 4 Shifts Report, and how this forms part of God’s bigger vision for our world in the Arise Manifesto.
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[1] Morocco rescuers dig with bare hands as foreign aid sent, BBC, (11 Sep 2023), https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-africa-66771590