Rabat accepts aid from four countries, including Spain and the United Kingdom

A The information was provided by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior which, in a statement, clarified that Rabat responded favorably “at this stage” to the offers from these four countries “to send search and rescue teams”.

This clarification comes at a time when several countries and organizations, such as Portugal, the United States, France or the UN, have declared themselves available and ready to provide assistance.

The Ministry of the Interior stated that the Moroccan authorities carried out “an accurate assessment” of the needs on the ground, taking into account that “the lack of coordination in these cases could have counterproductive results”.

He also added that, at the current stage, the authorities of the Maghreb country have accepted the help offered by Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, which “proposed search and rescue teams”, and highlighted that these teams have already arrived in the country and contacted their Moroccan counterparts.

“With the progress of intervention operations, as the assessment of possible needs evolves, this would lead to resorting to offers of support proposed by other friendly countries, according to the needs of each stage”, according to the statement cited by the intervention agency. Spanish news EFE.

The executive also adds that “he appreciates all the solidarity initiatives coming from different parts of the world, and states that he respects these countries”.

This morning, Spain sent the first relief team from the army’s Military Emergency Unit (UME), made up of 56 soldiers and four soldiers from the Moroccan army.

Other countries, such as Portugal, France or the United States of America, also made their aid available, but were awaiting guidance from the Moroccan authorities.

????The Portuguese Prime Minister, António Costa, highlighted today that the country has civil protection and forensic medicine teams on standby and that the Government continues to monitor the situation of the Portuguese who are in Morocco.

On Saturday, Portugal carried out an operation that allowed around 140 Portuguese people who wanted to return.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, also announced today that Washington has contacted the Moroccan Government, as well as the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who assured that France is ready to help “the second” the Moroccan authorities request it.

The Argentine Government also formally offered humanitarian aid, having made available the immediate dispatch of a team of 28 elements specialized in search and rescue, as well as three tons of materials and supplies.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) announced today that it will provide 1.05 million euros (one million Swiss francs) to help with earthquake response missions in Morocco.

The latest provisional data shows that the earthquake, which hit the Marrakesh region on Friday, left at least 2,122 dead and 2,421 injured.

The earthquake, whose epicenter was recorded in the town of Ighil, 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakesh, was felt in Portugal and Spain, reaching a magnitude of 7.0 on the Richter scale, according to the National Institute of Geophysics of Marrakech. Morocco.

[Notícia atualizada às 22h43]

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