Full Breakdown
Three Years After Morocco’s Al Haouz Quake: Reconstruction Gaps Persist
9/8/2026, 1:23:35 AM
The quake and the scale of rebuilding
On September 8, 2023 a magnitude-6.8 earthquake struck Morocco’s Al Haouz region, killing over 2,900 people, injuring more than 5,500, and destroying thousands of homes. Three years later, the High Atlas Development Agency (ADHA) reports that 54,425 homes have been built or rehabilitated, while more than 3,000 homes remain under construction.
Uneven recovery across villages
In the village of Ighermane, about 90 % of the roughly 150 families have received state assistance and rebuilt, according to Omar Saeed of the Ighermane Association for Development and Solidarity. By contrast, in Azgour—identified as the hardest-hit settlement—only 76 families have obtained reconstruction aid, leaving 56 families still waiting. Residents there also report difficulties connecting to water and electricity. Similar delays affect Amizmiz, where some families continue to live in tents.
State aid and funding figures
The Moroccan government has allocated more than 7.2 billion dirhams (? €656 million) for reconstruction, covering both lump-sum rebuilding grants and monthly emergency payments. Recipients such as Mohamed Ait Belaid combined the 80,000-dirham state grant with ? 100,000 dirhams of personal savings to rebuild a smaller house. Others, like former council employee Larbi Ait Jelloulat, claim bureaucratic residency checks have blocked their entitlement, illustrating gaps in the distribution process.
Verbatim quotes
- “The government is trying to make us, the victims of the Al Haouz earthquake, into mere statistics linked to the progress of construction and the removal of tents,” — Montasser Itri, member, National Coordination for Al Haouz Earthquake Victims.
- “Three years have passed, and no one has remembered us […] but recently some political figures turned up and promised to solve the problem,” — Mohamed Belkaid, tent-dweller in Amizmiz.
Official responses and calls for action
Architect Mohamed Belmejjad described the overall pace as “relatively positive” given logistical challenges such as remote locations, material transport, and the need to respect traditional building methods. The National Coordination for Al Haouz Earthquake Victims has demanded an independent investigation into alleged mishandling of payouts. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch has pledged a solution, a promise that many residents hope the scheduled September 23 general election will compel the government to fulfill.
