Morocco earthquake: Amsterdam and Rotterdam donate 1 euro per inhabitant

Amsterdam and Rotterdam are donating one euro per inhabitant of their municipalities to the victims of the earthquake in Morocco. More than 2,000 people were killed in Friday night's massive earthquake in Morocco's Atlas Mountains.

"This terrible disaster leaves a hole in the lives of so many people. Our thoughts are with those affected, their families, and all those in Morocco and the Netherlands who are still living in fear and uncertainty about the safety of their loved ones," said Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and her counterpart Ahmed Aboutaleb from Rotterdam.

Amsterdam is donating €919,000, while Rotterdam is providing €665,000. Both cities flew the flag at half-mast as a sign of sympathy for the victims and their families.

Schiedam will also donate one euro per inhabitant to the relief efforts in Morocco. This adds up to a total of 81,186 euros for the municipality. "We sympathize with the many people affected by the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Morocco. Our thoughts are also with all our fellow citizens who are in uncertainty about the fate of their families and friends in the affected area," said Mayor Jules Bijl. The Stadserf in the city center will be lit in red, the color of the Moroccan flag, on Saturday and Sunday.

In February, Amsterdam and Rotterdam were the first municipalities to donate one euro per inhabitant following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The following month, more than 160 municipalities joined this initiative. This raised more than 11 million euros.

The Red Cross has also received many donations. So far, 636,619 euros have been received through the giro 6868 of the Red Cross. The aid organization opened the account number on Saturday to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.

However, the Red Cross does not know how much money is needed for relief after the disaster. This is partly because some places are difficult to reach as they are in remote areas and roads were damaged by the quake. "Currently, the impact and damage of the disaster is still being assessed," the organization said. "However, relief efforts are already in full swing."

Money can be transferred to current giro 6868 for the Moroccan Red Crescent's relief efforts for first aid, transporting the injured to hospitals, and psychosocial support. This is being done in Marrakech and the province of Taroudant, south of the city, among other places.