Morocco Confirms IMF-World Bank Meetings to Proceed Despite Earthquake

"From the point of view of the Moroccan authorities, the annual meetings of the IMF and the World Bank (WB) will take place as planned: from October 9 to 15, 2023. There is no change of plan for the moment," a source close to the Moroccan government told Reuters on Monday. For their part, the two Bretton Wood institutions avoided reacting to this position of Morocco, referring to a joint statement in which they expressed their condolences to Morocco and the Moroccan people after the deadly earthquake that has already claimed nearly 3,000 lives.

In the document, the IMF and the World Bank affirmed their "willingness to support Morocco in the best possible way," particularly in terms of urgent short-term financial needs. The two institutions are focusing their attention on the immediate response to be provided after this tragedy that has struck Morocco and particularly Marrakech, where their annual meetings are supposed to be held.

It should be noted that the modern districts of the city were not affected by the earthquake. The venue for the IMF and World Bank meetings, a campus of temporary structures located on the outskirts of the city, near the airport, has not suffered any damage and the preparation work is continuing normally, we are told.