Donations flowing to Libya, Morocco over humanitarian catastrophe

14 / 09 / 2023

By Marwa Nassar - -

Donations are flowing to Libya and Morocco to support the two countries in the face of the disasters that gripped the two countries.

Siemens AG and Siemens Healthineers have each provided €500,000 in immediate assistance to mitigate the suffering of earthquake and flood victims in Morocco and Libya and to support rescue efforts.

In addition, both companies have called on the people they employ to make donations. Every euro contributed as part of this donation drive will be matched.

“Our thoughts are with the victims, with their families, with all those affected,” said Roland Busch, President and CEO of Siemens AG. “We want to help. And – together with Siemens Healthineers – we are making €1 million available as immediate assistance. Siemens Caring Hands, our charitable organization, will provide quick and unbureaucratic help.”

Through the non-profit organization Siemens Caring Hands e.V., donations are made available to selected relief organizations. These organizations then use the money to provide local aid measures in response to disasters. Measures range from tents, accommodations and technical support to food, drinking water and basic medical care.

The earthquake disaster neither injured people employed by Siemens and Siemens Healthineers nor damaged the companies’ facilities. Siemens AG employs around 70 people in Morocco, Siemens Healthineers 110 people.

Moreover, Islamic Relief has already pledged about $125,000 for Libya relief efforts and has launched the Libya Floods Emergency Appeal to raise more funds to give local humanitarian organizations to use for affected communities.

CARE, which has been working in Morocco since 2008 to help people get access to basic services, has launched the Morocco Earthquake Emergency Fund, which it said will prioritize providing women and girls, youth, and disadvantaged groups food and shelter.

Also, GlobalGiving’s Morocco Earthquake Relief Fund had raised nearly $560,000 by Tuesday afternoon to provide food, water and shelter to those who have lost their homes in the earthquake, as well as supporting long-term recovery efforts.

Moreover, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has launched an emergency appeal for 100 million Swiss Francs to further scale up relief efforts of the Moroccan Red Crescent.

More than three days after the earthquake hit Morocco, aid is reaching more remote locations, but conditions are challenging. Since the disaster hit on Friday night, Moroccan Red Crescent teams have been working with Moroccan authorities. They are supporting search and rescue operations, providing first aid and psychosocial support, helping transport the injured to hospitals and evacuating people from damaged buildings, and providing food and water.