Netherlands pushing 50 million into reconstruction Morocco
The Netherlands will invest 50 million euros in the reconstruction of the area in Morocco that was hit by a major earthquake. Minister Liesje Schrenemacher of Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation announced this during a visit to Asni, near the epicenter of the September 8 earthquake. According to her, the intention is that Dutch companies will work on this aid.
She spoke of a “significant amount” that should go to things that the Moroccan government indicates it needs. “There will be a kind of menu list,” Schreinemacher explained. It lists all kinds of projects, for example, the construction of a hospital or residential houses.”
“What I would like to use the money for is water-related projects.” She stressed that the Netherlands has companies with a lot of knowledge and experience with water management. According to her, it also concerns the efficient use of water in horticulture, something that can be crucial for this region of Morocco.
About 3,000 people were killed in the earthquake last month. Immediately after the disaster, the Netherlands released 5 million euros for emergency aid to the country through the Red Cross. Schreinemacher is now taking money from a fund intended for international aid for public infrastructure. The amount is partly a loan and partly a gift. Invest International, a partnership between the Dutch State and development bank FMO, will handle the implementation.
Schreinemacher is in Morocco for the annual meeting of the World Bank and a trade mission. We changed the program a bit, which also gave me space to go to the earthquake area.” The Minister visited, among other things, a school that is currently housed in temporary buildings so that the children from Asni can still attend school. She was also given a tour of a tent camp where affected people temporarily reside.
She described her visit as “very impressive.” People from the Red Cross also told the Minister of all the things that still need to be done. The current priority is preparing for winter. For example, better tents are needed that provide protection against the cold in the mountainous area. And more showers are being installed because some women have not been able to wash properly for weeks. Rebuilding everything that got destroyed will take a long time.
