Moroccan-Spanish CEO Launches Fundraiser for Earthquake Reconstruction in Morocco

Based in Majorca for 22 years, Othman Ktiri has launched, through his foundation, a fundraising campaign to support Morocco after the deadly earthquake of September 8. His goal is to contribute to the reconstruction of the areas most affected by the tragedy. "The main needs of the population were covered very quickly thanks to the huge mobilization. Water and food are not lacking. We must now focus, and this is the purpose of the campaign, on the reconstruction of all damaged houses and infrastructure and on the restoration of services in the most affected areas so that they can return to normal as soon as possible," he explained to Ultima Hora.

The CEO of OK Mobility, one of the leading car rental companies in Majorca, is organizing this initiative with his branch in Marrakech. "We are organizing sustainable reconstruction and rehabilitation initiatives for buildings in the rural areas of Al-Haouz and Taroudant, where aid is arriving with more difficulty and people are more helpless," he details, specifying that his staff on site "felt it more intensely". "We have our headquarters precisely in the city of Marrakech, a few kilometers from the epicenter. Fortunately, we did not record any human or material damage."

His family, based in Casablanca, is also doing well, he assures. "They felt the walls of the house start to move and they went out into the street. And this despite the fact that they were 250 kilometers from Marrakech. The earthquake lasted a minute that seemed like an eternity. They were very scared, but fortunately they were not injured and the house was not damaged," he added, inviting the people of Majorca to express their solidarity by participating in this campaign. To do this, it is enough to send a "bizum from your mobile phone to 05473", or "to make a bank transfer to the account number ES22 2100 8612 9102 0016 5972".

A few days after the launch of the campaign, Othman Ktiri thanked the people of Majorca for their outpouring of solidarity. "We are grateful. Majorcan society has once again demonstrated its great solidarity. The collaboration has been enormous, and even some celebrities have joined us, like Barcelona footballer ’Pedri’, who is helping us gain visibility. But we still need contributions, because there is a lot to rebuild."