Morocco Launches Emergency Response to Severe Winter Weather in Atlas Mountains

By triggering the major vigilance operation, the authorities of these regions hope in particular to unblock the mountainous areas, protect and shelter vulnerable people.

And for good reason, the Middle Atlas regions are already feeling the effects of the severe cold and heavy snowfall. As direct consequences, we have noted, reports Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, the cutting off of several roads, making it difficult to travel between Aït Abdi, Zaouïat Ahansal and Tilouguit. Faced with this situation, the local authorities of several provinces have met to relaunch the "vigilance committees" created by the government in 2009 and which have fallen into inaction, in order to act effectively during this period of severe cold.

This mobilization of the authorities has made it possible to take a census of pregnant women and sick people, in order to accommodate them in maternity wards and appropriate establishments. The mobilization of available human and logistical resources and, above all, the awareness-raising of populations living in localities exposed to the wave of icy cold is also planned.

In Midelt, where 219 douars are exposed to severe weather conditions, snow removal equipment is mobilized but also logistics in the event of power and telephone cuts. In Khénifra, the province has set up nearly 40 helicopter landing areas, a census of 154 pregnant women, as well as the mobilization of 40 doctors and 42 ambulances.

In Ifrane, to unblock the areas affected by the cold wave, the prefecture has mobilized 60 snowplows, 16 transport vehicles, 13 bulldozers and 12 ambulances, for an operation that will take into account "more than 120 douars belonging to 10 communes where a population estimated at 150,000 people resides," continues the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia.

For their part, the authorities of Al Hoceima have distributed firewood to schools, as well as blankets and heating appliances to maternity wards, concludes the same source.