Morocco Cancels Summer Youth Camps Amid COVID-19 Concerns

To mark a pause in the annual holding of these camps, the minister has decided to cancel this year’s edition, due to the coronavirus, but announced the reopening of the camps in September, provided that the health situation has improved in the kingdom.

Responding to questions from some deputies before the "social sectors" committee of the House of Representatives, the minister indicated that children will not have access to the camps during which training seminars will be held, and added that the spaces of the vacation camps will be the subject of renovation work during this pause period.

In order to assess the perverse effects of the coronavirus on youth to allow the government to mitigate them, a study has been launched, Othman El Ferdaous also announced, stressing the need to set up entertainment and socio-educational rehabilitation programs for young people during the summer periods.

The minister also discussed the situation in the sports sector, which has been severely affected by COVID-19, specifying that the suspension of sports activities was necessary, given the barrier gestures to be respected, in particular social distancing, in order to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. However, the subsidies allocated to sports academies will be maintained to help them cope with the crisis, Othman El Ferdaous reassured.

These arguments from the new minister did not meet the approval of the parliamentarians who disapprove of the cancellation of the vacation camps, after four months spent in confinement. Especially for children who need to get away before the resumption of classes.