Morocco to invest $760 million in disaster response stockpiling

RABAT - Morocco plans to spend 7 billion dirhams ($760 million) on storage platforms across the country to stockpile necessities in immediate response to potential disasters, state media said.

The stockpiles were ordered by King Mohammed VI in the wake of the devastating earthquake that hit the High Atlas Mountains in September 2023, killing more than 2,900 people and destroying homes and vital infrastructure.

Morocco has faced recurrent flash floods, wildfires, cold snaps and droughts in recent years.

Under the stockpiling project, Morocco will spend 2 billion dirhams on building 36 storage facilities across the country, over a total surface area of 240 hectares, while 5 billion dirhams will be spent on emergency supplies, the media said.

The supplies include tents, beds, blankets, field hospitals, mobile kitchens and bakeries, water purification systems and emergency power generators, as well as equipment in response to flood, landslide and chemical threats.