Morocco earthquake survivors protest to demand housing aid

Survivors of Morocco's 2023 earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people rallied in Rabat on Monday, demanding their houses be rebuilt as part of the government's reconstruction programme.

Marking the disaster's second anniversary, dozens of protesters gathered outside parliament in the Moroccan capital, protesting what they described as their "exclusion" from the reconstruction programme.

Many held signs that read "No to exclusion, no to marginalisation" and "A roof for every life, dignity has no price".

Ibrahim Achkijou, 30, told AFP he was still living in a shipping container south of Marrakesh, in what he described as a "big injustice".

"We lost our home... but we were excluded from the aid without explanation," he said.

Aicha Ouchane, who travelled with her mother from quake-hit Ouarzazate, about 500 kilometres (310 miles) south of Rabat, to join the protest, said they lived in a garage under "very harsh conditions".

"They tell us we are not entitled to the aid, which is not normal," she said.

On September 8, 2023, a 6.8-magnitude earthquake razed tens of thousands of homes in central Morocco, including in the High Atlas mountain range, forcing families to sleep out in the open through the winter.

Authorities had said it damaged some 55,000 houses.

So far, some 45,800 homes have been rebuilt in the provinces of Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Taroudant and Marrakesh, according to the latest official tally, which did not include data on Ouarzazate and Azilal provinces.

Authorities say more than $465 million has so far been allocated for reconstruction and rehabilitation, alongside monthly allowances of $277 for affected families.

Following the earthquake, the Moroccan authorities announced a five-year reconstruction plan with an estimated budget of $11.7 billion.