Morocco Prepares to Aid 800,000 People in National Cold Wave Response Plan

During the oral question session at the House of Advisors, the Minister of the Interior, Abdelouafi Laftit, recalled that the national commission responsible for anticipating this cyclical phenomenon has already met to define the implementation modalities of this National Plan.

In total, this year’s intervention will concern 1,797 douars in 233 localities in 27 provinces, targeting 150,468 families, or a total population of around 800,000 people, he announced, adding that the areas concerned have been classified, on the basis of a set of criteria including the potential duration of isolation, into 3 main levels, in order to ensure the effectiveness of the intervention.

This is the Red level which concerns the douars at risk of isolation for a period of more than 7 days, i.e. 654 douars with an estimated population of around 250,000 people, the Orange level which concerns the douars at risk of isolation for a period between 4 and 7 days, which number 845 for an estimated population of around 330,000 people and the Yellow level, which concerns the douars threatened with isolation for a period of two to three days, numbering 298 and a total population of nearly 220,000 people.

Concretely, the commission will organize mini-medical campaigns this year due to the epidemic situation, as well as field visits carried out by mobile medical units in the various listed provinces, in addition to monitoring the situation of pregnant women and elderly people suffering from isolation or chronic illnesses.

It will also be a question of making food aid and blankets available to the targeted populations, with the supervision of the contribution of civil society in these areas, by providing accommodation and relief services, the care of homeless people and the development of platforms for the landing of helicopters to provide emergency medical support.

This year’s intervention will also take into account the distribution of firewood and stoves to the population concerned, to educational establishments, health centers and maternity hospitals located in the targeted areas, the supply and distribution of subsidized fodder for livestock, as part of the program of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the opening of roads and the unblocking of rural areas, among other measures.