Space Industry and Business News
SHAKE AND BLOW
Changed 'forever': Morocco slowly rebuilds a year after quake
Changed 'forever': Morocco slowly rebuilds a year after quake
By Kaouthar Oudrhiri
Tiniskt (AFP) Sept 4, 2024

For the past year Kebira Ait Bellaid has been living in a tent in a mountain village in Morocco, haunted by the memory of losing her daughter and three grandchildren.

"I can still hear my nine-year-old grandson's screams under the rubble," the 52-year-old said, recalling the September 8 earthquake that devastated the area.

"This earthquake has changed me forever," she told AFP.

The 6.8-magnitude quake killed nearly 3,000 people and damaged the homes of over two million people across the High Atlas region.

In Tiniskt, a village perched in the mountains about 70 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, 45 people lost their lives.

Of the roughly 500 villagers who remain, many are still living in tents, unable to escape the trauma.

Tears welling in her eyes, Khadija Id Yassine said she tries to forget about the quake but "it remains anchored" in her mind.

"Life has been hard in the tent, between the freezing cold of winter and the stifling heat of summer," said Yassine, a mother of three whose house is still awaiting reconstruction.

While most debris has been cleared, the village still bears signs of destruction. Only the mosque and three houses, built with concrete, remain standing.

- 'Turn this painful page' -

The government has provided most families in Tiniskt with an initial payout of 20,000 Moroccan dirhams (around $2,000). But no houses have been rebuilt.

Al Haouz province, which includes Tiniskt, was the worst affected area, with about 24,000 houses slated for reconstruction -- but only around 1,000 have been rebuilt.

Amine Bouih of Al-Omrane public construction agency said it was still tricky to access damaged areas in mountainous terrain.

Ambulance driver Brahim Ait Ouarah, from the village of Ouirgane near Tiniskt, said he paid out of his own pocket to rebuild his home, only getting state aid later.

"The six months I spent in a tent were very difficult," said Ouarah, who lost his wife and son in the quake.

"I was eager to turn this painful page, even when nothing can compensate for the lost lives."

- 'Big mistake' -

Locals are not only frustrated with the slow pace of rehousing, but also with how the new homes are being built.

Concrete is being widely used in Tiniskt and other villages, rather than traditional building materials like clay and stone.

Architect Khalil Morad El Gilali thinks this is "a big mistake".

"It is expensive, not suitable for this environment and not reliable," he said.

Gilali has been involved in the reconstruction of 70 houses using the traditional clay and stone of the villages, turning down projects that use concrete.

He argues that the authorities, in their rush to rebuild, have shown "a lack of vision".

But Al Omrane's Bouih said traditional architecture takes more time -- a luxury in short supply when people desperately need shelter.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SHAKE AND BLOW
UAF scientist's method could give months' warning of major earthquakes
Fairbanks AK (SPX) Sep 01, 2024
The public could have days or months of warning about a major earthquake through identification of prior low-level tectonic unrest over large areas, according to research by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist who analyzed two major quakes in Alaska and California. The work was led by research assistant professor Tarsilo Girona of the UAF Geophysical Institute. Girona, a geophysicist and data scientist, studies precursory activity of volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. Geologist Kyria ... read more

SHAKE AND BLOW
New category of electrolytes discovered: glass-forming liquid electrolytes

3D imaging technology unlocks new insights in plastic waste recycling

Engineers smash rocks to gain new insights into rapid compaction of granular materials

Salsa Satellite's reentry to be observed live from the sky

SHAKE AND BLOW
Hughes and Boost Mobile Showcase Advanced Network Management for U.S. Navy

Orbit Secures $6 Million Contract for Advanced Naval Satellite Communication Systems in Asia

Tyvak Secures $254 Million Contract to Build Satellites for Space Development Agency's T2TL Gamma

SDA allocates $424M for 20 Gamma Variant satellites for Tranche 2

SHAKE AND BLOW
SHAKE AND BLOW
LEO satellites enhance GPS accuracy through ground station integration

TrustPoint Secures $3.8M in SpaceWERX Direct-to-Phase II Contracts

UK to build military test site to combat GPS jamming

New Study Showcases Enhanced GNSS Accuracy in Smartphones for Urban and Open-Sky Navigation

SHAKE AND BLOW
EU orders Airbus A350 inspections after Cathay engine fire

Cathay flights to resume fully by Saturday after A350 repairs

Zelensky dismisses Ukraine air force commander after F-16 crash

Ukraine says US-made F-16 fighter jet crashed, killing pilot

SHAKE AND BLOW
US steps up export controls on advanced tech goods

Dutch match US export curbs on semiconductor machines

Scaling quantum computing by reducing error impact and enhancing efficiency

Block copolymer enables sub-8 nm line widths in semiconductor manufacturing

SHAKE AND BLOW
Doughnut-shaped region deep within the Earth sheds light on magnetic field dynamics

New approach enhances prediction of extreme rainfall and flash flooding

What you should know about Sentinel-2 climate satellites

NASA Discovers a Long-Sought Global Electric Field on Earth

SHAKE AND BLOW
Burning trash a major source of plastic pollution: study

Greenpeace sounds alarm on microplastics ingested by Hong Kong wildlife

US statewide bans on plastic bags reduced beach pollution: analysis

Air pollution declined in Europe and China in 2023: UN

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.