September 9, 2023 Earthquake hits Morocco

The international response to the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night has been huge.

More than 800 people have been confirmed dead as rescue operations continue. In the midst of it, world leaders have offered their condolences and commiserations.

In a statement Saturday, US President Joe Biden said he is "deeply saddened" by the quake and that his administration is in contact with Moroccan officials: "We are working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe, and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people." US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed his "deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction" and "heartfelt condolences" to those affected, echoing Biden's promise of assistance.

French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday on X, previously known as Twitter: “We are all devastated by the terrible earthquake in Morocco. France is ready to help with the rescue efforts.”

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi offered "sincere condolences to the brotherly Moroccan people and my brother, His Majesty King Mohammed VI, for the victims of the terrible earthquake, and my sincere wishes for the injured to recover quickly."

"I affirm the solidarity of Egypt both the government and the people are with our brothers in Morocco," el-Sisi said on his official Facebook account. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Chinese state media CCTV announced Saturday, calling the earthquake “shocking.”

“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I expressed my deepest condolences to the victims, their family and those injured,” Xi said in the statement. “I believe that, under the leadership of your majesty the King, the Moroccan government and people can definitely quickly recover from this disaster and rebuild their homes,” he said.

Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky sent his "deepest condolences to HM King Mohammed VI and all Moroccans for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake. I wish those injured a fast recovery."

Russia's Vladimir Putin reached out to Morocco's king in a statement published on the Kremlin’s website, adding: "Russia shares the experiences and grief of the friendly people of Morocco.”

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which experienced its own horrific earthquake earlier this year — as more than 50,000 people were killed in Turkey and Syria — conveyed his "best wishes to all Moroccan people affected by the earthquake disaster in friendly and brotherly Morocco."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the G20 summit on Saturday with "heartfelt condolences" to everyone affected by the quake. He later said on his X account that he was "extremely pained by the loss of lives."

Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida sent a message of sympathy to Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, according to a Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement. "I am deeply saddened to hear that so many precious lives were lost and so many people were affected by the earthquake. I would like to express my condolences to the victims and offer my sincere sympathies to the bereaved families,” Kishida said, also indicating his country’s willingness to offer substantial aid.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo have also said that they and their countries are "with the victims" of the tragedy.

Pope Francis on Saturday expressed his “profound solidarity” with Moroccans hit by the deadly earthquake in a telegram sent to Morocco by the Vatican's Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. “The Holy Father prays to the most high to support the people of Morocco in this ordeal and offers his encouragement to the civil authorities and rescue services,” it added.

Ready to help: Some countries say they are in touch with Morocco on how to assist the North African nation following the disaster, with Israel and the UAE already preparing to provide assistance on the ground. The United Nations has also said it will provide help.

The French ambassador to Morocco told CNN affiliate BFMTV Saturday that France is in talks with Moroccan authorities to figure out “ways to accompany Morocco in this grave crisis.”

Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical team, is mobilizing and gearing up to leave for Morocco “within the next few hours” according to a statement released Saturday.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “has directed the establishment of an air bridge to deliver critical relief supplies and other forms of support to those affected by the earthquake that struck various areas of the Kingdom of Morocco.”

The death toll from the Morocco earthquake will likely rise, and aftershocks could cause further physical and mental pain, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies' Caroline Holt said Saturday.

"Not only (do aftershocks) have the potential to create further injuries to people — and broken bones and severe head injuries, etc. — but really, it creates a sense of fear amongst the population that has survived the initial trauma," said Holt, director for disaster, climate and crises at the IFRC. 

Holt told CNN it is heartening to see international solidarity at this time, and that needs to continue.

"People will be living outside for the foreseeable future," Holt said. In the mountainous area near the epicenter, she said it is very hot during the day, but temperatures can plunge at night, so basic shelter is required immediately to protect people from the elements.

"First aid and psychosocial support, to help with the mental health needs of people who are suffering and continue to suffer the trauma, will also be prioritized, and I can only imagine that we will see the international aid effort really start to scale up in the coming days," she added.

The Moroccan Red Crescent is working with national and local organizations on the ground to assess the biggest needs, Holt said.

Images show the extent of the damage left by the Morocco earthquake on the Tinmal Mosque in the High Atlas mountains, a prime example of Almohad architecture.

The 12th-century mosque served as a model for the Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakech and the Giralda mosque in Seville, a former Moroccan culture minister told CNN. 

The Morocco vs. Liberia Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match scheduled for Saturday evening has been postponed because of the powerful earthquake that hit Morocco, the Moroccan Football Federation said in a statement.

Morocco and Liberia were set to play in the final round of qualifiers for the finals of the African Cup of Nations at Stade d'Agadir in Agadir, Morocco. No makeup date was announced.

Morocco's magical run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup broke records and inspired praise across the world.

The death toll for the Morocco earthquake has risen to 1,037, and more than 1,000 other people have been injured, according to Morocco’s state TV channel Al Aoula, which cited the interior ministry.  

The ministry said 721 people are in critical condition.

It is the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in decades.

Algeria will open its airspace for humanitarian aid and medical flights going to and from Morocco, despite the countries' strained relations, Algerian state news agency APS reported, citing a statement from the country’s president.

“Algeria expressed today, Saturday, its full readiness to provide humanitarian aid to Morocco and put all the material and human capabilities in the wake of the violent earthquake that struck this country, according to a statement by the Presidency of the Republic,” APS reported. 

“The authorities also decided Upper Algeria opened its airspace to flights to transport humanitarian aid and the wounded and injured,” it said.  

Key context: Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to all planes registered in Morocco.  

Tom Saintfiet, head coach of the Gambian national football team, spoke to CNN about being in Marrakech with his team for an upcoming Africa Cup qualifier match against Congo when the earthquake hit. 

He gathered the members of his team, and they spent the night outside by the hotel pool. The coach says many of his players were in shock and had trouble sleeping. 

The team's match against Congo is scheduled for Sunday, though it’s unclear whether it will go ahead. “We don’t know if that game is going to happen still, due to the casualties, but there is a very good chance it will, and so it is a strange moment. A strange situation. We try to cope with it, we try to keep the atmosphere high," he added.

Turkey says it is ready to send 265 personnel and 1,000 tents to Morocco to support aid efforts following the deadly earthquake, according to AFAD, Turkey’s Emergency Management Authority. 

In a statement, AFAD said it is responding to calls for international aid from Morocco. “A total of 265 personnel from AFAD, Ministry of Health’s National Rescue Team UMKE, Turkish Red Crescent and other NGOs are ready to take action,” it said.

AFAD also outlined that it is also able to send 1,000 tents to the region to assist people affected by the earthquake. 

“We offer our condolences to the people of Morocco who were affected by the earthquake,” the agency said, according to the statement.

In February, a devastating earthquake hit Turkey, killing at least 45,000 people, rendering millions homeless across almost a dozen cities, and causing immediate damage estimated at $34 billion. 

If you are just joining us, hundreds of people have been killed after a powerful earthquake struck central Morocco.

The bulk of the deaths were in the province of Al Haouz, west of the quake's epicenter and south of Marrakech, a bustling economic and cultural center that's popular with tourists.

Here are the latest developments:

When and where: The quake struck shortly after 11 p.m. local time (6 p.m. ET), according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of the Marrakech, home to around 840,000 people. Many people in the areas affected live in structures "highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking," the USGS noted.

Rising death toll: While more than 800 people have died, the figure is likely to rise. One expert said he expects multiple aftershocks and predicted the magnitude of these aftershocks to be in the "high fives."

Damage is complicating rescues: Rescue teams in the country were having difficulties reaching the hardest-hit areas, with nearby roads damaged or blocked. Some Marrakech residents spent the night sleeping in the streets. Traffic has been reported in some streets in the city amid a rush to pick up patients, as well as tourists fleeing the destruction.

Eyewitnesses describe devastation: People living in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains, very close to the epicenter of the quake, have described the ruins left behind by the disaster. One eyewitness said her village is in a "very bad condition. There is destruction everywhere."

Huge international response: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the G20 summit on Saturday with "heartfelt condolences" to everyone affected by the quake. The United Nations has said it is ready to help, and other countries including Israel, the UAE, the US and France have said they are working to provide assistance to Morocco.