World Bank Slams Morocco’s Disaster Prevention Strategy After Deadly Floods

"Institutional disorder". This is the term used by the World Bank to support its criticisms. As Morocco is exposed to major disasters, the financial institution is concerned about the consequences for the populations who, according to the daily Al Ahdath Al Maghribia, are not sufficiently aware of the dangers that threaten them. The newspaper reports that, for the World Bank, the populations consider that disaster management is the sole responsibility of the Government.

In 2016, the financial institution had already warned that Moroccans were not sufficiently aware or sensitized to their exposure to the risks associated with natural disasters, particularly the poorest, least educated populations with limited means to protect themselves.

The case of several villages in the southern region, but also several provinces in the North, often exposed to earthquakes, is telling. Even if the institution acknowledges that the Moroccan government does not have enough room for maneuver, it nevertheless believes that it must work more on raising public awareness.