Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior and regional authorities have begun preparing for the national campaign to protect against cold waves.
The annual campaign, launched in 2007, seeks to assist populations affected by cold waves in over 1,500 remote villages in the Atlas and Rif mountains.
The plan traditionally includes supplying the villages with commodities, heating, and livestock feed, as well as linking them to telecommunication systems.
Morocco’s Royal Gendarmerie also prepares its helicopters for emergency missions, such as women giving birth or people becoming lost in the snowy mountains.
Morocco’s government coordinates the national campaign to address cold waves with local authorities in order to adjust measures depending on the specificities of every mountainous region.
In Taza, a city located between the Rif mountains and the Middle Atlas mountains, local authorities have planned several field visits to remote villages. During the visits, they plan to distribute blankets, firewood, and food products.
Doctors whom the regional health directorate has appointed will also take part in the visits in order to offer medical consultations and advice for populations in the remote villages.
According to the governorate of Taza, the regional campaign will benefit at least 17,000 Moroccans living in 58 villages spread across seven administrative localities.
Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior is yet to announce details about this year’s national campaign to protect against cold waves. The campaign could witness some changes compared to previous years, especially in light of the COVID-19 spread.
In 2019, the campaign benefited more than 736,000 Moroccans living in 1,753 remote villages spread across 27 different provinces.
