Suport the earthquake-affected communities of Morocco

My name is Patrick and I'm a photographer based in the UK.
I have visited Morocco many times over the years, I’ve cycled around it, climbed its highest mountain, enjoyed it incredible landscape and the history and hospitality of its people and culture. The disastrous earthquake on the 8th September 2023 led to the cancellation of a trip later that year and as a result I felt compelled to try and do something to help with the situation. So in October and November 2023 I visited a number of the communities who had been effected by the earthquake along side a fantastic Marrakesh based NGO called the High Atlas Foundation.

Since 2000, HAF has partnered with a number of communities in the High Atlas region to implement long term sustainable strategies for development. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake, the epicentre of which was the central western regions of the High Atlas Range, killed thousands and destroyed countless homes. Many of the villages affected are partnered with the High Atlas Foundation, who have been relentlessly providing relief aid and ongoing support for the communities affected by the earthquake. They have also been doing everything they can to keep the long terms projects that the HAF partnerships facilitate running through this incredibly difficult time. The situation is ongoing, and as well as houses and other buildings, infrastructure like the water canal systems that supply villages with running water from reservoirs further up the mountains, have been damaged by the earthquake and require extensive maintenance. Getting materials up to the more remote sections of these canals and the reservoirs is challenging to say the least. The government has been slow and limited in its response. These communities are at altitude and can only be accessed via single track mountain roads, yet the people who live here are encouraged by the government to build the traditional houses of the region to maintain the aesthetic seen in the tourist guides, but this traditional housing cannot stand up to the effects of an earthquake like the one experienced in 2023. The temporary shelters provided by the government and organisations like HAF are a solution for the short to medium term but full recovery from the earthquake will require many buildings to be rebuilt and this requires a lot of time and resources, and that requires money.

Provisions such as food, fuel and medicines are a daily requirement but most importantly of all, provisions for children such as adequate clothing and bedding are in dire need right now as means of generating revenue have been disrupted, largely by the lack of water form the canals irrigating crops.

This fundraising initiative aims to raise as much money as possible to help with the work that a lot of incredible people are doing from within these communities as well as those working alongside them. Every single penny from this fundraiser will go directly to the communities affected, and will be used for the provision of everyday requirements as well as to contribute to the rebuilding of the villages the team at HAF work with. Listening to the needs of people on the ground is crucial in making sure this money is used in the most effective way possible and through the strong and ongoing relationships HAF has with these communities they are ideally placed to ensure this is what happens.

Your support is greatly appreciated.

Please watch this short video