After mourning its dead, Morocco must now think about reconstruction. The earthquake which struck a region southwest of the tourist city of Marrakech on Friday September 8 left more than 2,900 dead. The earthquake, of magnitude 6.8, destroyed thousands of homes, wiped out entire villages, and also seriously damaged part of the kingdom’s architectural heritage.
According to the Moroccan news site Le Desk, which reports estimates from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), material damage could cost the country between 1 and 9 billion euros, i.e. i.e. up to 8% of Morocco’s GDP in 2022.
This substantial bill will mainly be borne by the State itself, also explains the Moroccan media, which has set up a specific fund for the destruction caused by the earthquake, financed by donations from different structures, more than on funding mechanisms. insurance.
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Among the destruction, there was significant damage to the 700 hectares of the medina, the old town of Marrakech. The 12th century ramparts surrounding the imperial city, founded around 1070 by the Almoravid dynasty, are partly disfigured.
In comparison, the cost of the earthquake in Turkey last February would amount to around $100 billion, according to a calculation carried out by the World Bank a month after the earthquake, or around 11% of the country’s GDP in 2022. February 6 earthquake of magnitude 7.8, followed by another nine hours later of magnitude 7.6, killed around 46,000 people and injured 105,000 in Turkey.