Floods in Morocco: the army deployed urgently to evacuate 20,000 people

The Moroccan government has deployed rescue units from the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) on Saturday to deal with a critical humanitarian situation. Thus, thousands of people have been extracted from areas submerged by the spectacular rise in water levels. The national monitoring committee reports that the overflow of the Loukkos wadi has flooded several neighborhoods of Ksar El Kébir, a strategic city located 190 km north of the capital.

The crisis has been exacerbated by the saturation of the region’s dams. Almost full after weeks of continuous rain, these reservoirs had to release water, increasing the pressure on the river basins. To date, the authorities have counted more than 20,000 displaced persons, now housed in temporary reception centers and emergency camps.

In the province of Sidi Kacem, the alert has also been raised to its maximum level due to the flooding of the Sebou wadi, leading to the preventive evacuation of several douars. In Ksar El Kébir, the landscape is now marked by hastily erected sand barriers to protect the still dry areas. Schools will remain closed for the coming week to limit the risk of unnecessary travel.

Climatic irony, these devastating floods mark the abrupt end of a severe drought that had lasted for seven years. While the dams show a reassuring fill rate of 60%, ensuring future water security, the human toll remains heavy. This new disaster comes only a month after sudden floods cost the lives of 37 people in Safi, reminding us of the growing vulnerability of infrastructure to extreme weather phenomena.