Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

Since arriving in Morocco on 14 September, AMDA’s two Japanese nurses have been working with Moroccan international health specialist Shifaa Foundation to provide assistance to the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the nation’s southwestern regions on 8 September. The epicentre was in the Atlas Mountains (Al Haouz) located 70 kilometres from Marrakesh.

On 22 September, with five doctors from Shifaa Foundation, the nurses visited a village near Imintanoute in one of the affected areas. It took the team three hours’ drive to get to the location. Although the impact of the quake seemed relatively light (as there weren’t many collapsed buildings seen in the vicinity), makeshift tents were still visible. After learning that the village lacked medical infrastructure, the team carried out mobile clinic activities. The team offered general medical consultations such as blood pressure and blood sugar tests, while prescribing medicines to whoever that needed them.

On 23 September, the team went to the village of Tiziwsm to provide similar assistance. This time, the team also included a nurse and a midwife from Shifaa Foundation, which made it seven aid workers in total. As roads to the village had been damaged due to the quake, it took four hours for the team to get to the site. If the team didn’t have to take a detour, the traveling time would have been about two hours.

At the village whose total population was around 300 people (50 households), many buildings with collapsed walls and cracks were seen. According to local residents, four people were killed in the quake. Part of the villagers have chosen to avoid staying at home in fear of possible quakes. While some remain in tents, some are laying blankets on unpaved roads to spend a night outside. 

On the other hand, efforts are underway for post-disaster reconstruction and recovery. They include mental care provided by psychiatrists, as well as activities prompted by architects that are aimed at rebuilding people’s daily lives.