The earthquake in Morocco affected 2,930 villages in the high regions of the Atlas Mountains, with a total population of 2.8 million people, the minister responsible for the budget in this country announced on Friday.
The village of Tafeghaghte was destroyed by the earthquake in MoroccoPhoto: FADEL SENNA / AFP / Profimedia Images
An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 occurred on September 8 and killed more than 2,900 people, most of the victims being recorded in hard-to-reach mountainous areas, Reuters and Agerpres recall.
At least 59,674 houses were damaged, of which 32% collapsed completely, said Moroccan Minister Faouzi Lekjaa in a presentation before the Parliament.
The government in Rabat will provide 2,500 dirhams ($244) per month for one year in financial aid to affected families, in addition to compensation of 140,000 dirhams paid for completely destroyed homes and 80,000 dirhams for damaged houses partially, the Moroccan minister added.
The reconstruction operations will have to respect the original architecture of the houses in the high areas of the Atlas Mountains, the Moroccan official also said.
This earthquake, the most devastating that occurred in Morocco after 1960, destroyed numerous villages with traditional houses built of adobe bricks, stone and raw wood, specific to the Berber communities of the Atlas Mountains.
In total, Morocco plans to allocate 120 billion dirhams for post-earthquake reconstruction operations, which include upgrading infrastructure over the next five years, the Royal Palace in Rabat announced on Wednesday.
The regions affected by this earthquake are among the poorest in Morocco, containing many isolated villages that lack adequate roads and public services.
