Morocco to Spend $330Million on Flood Recovery

Morocco will spend about $330 million to support Northern regions devastated by weeks of flooding that have severely affected key agricultural zones, the government said on Thursday.

According to an official statement, Moroccan King Mohammed VI directed the government to implement a broad assistance programme for families and communities affected by the disaster.

The four hardest-hit provinces, Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem and Sidi Slimane,  have been declared disaster areas, with 3 billion dirhams (approximately $328 million) allocated for recovery efforts.

Authorities said the funds would be used to repair damaged roads and farming infrastructure, relocate displaced households, compensate residents for lost income, and restore homes and businesses affected by the floods. 

Support will also be extended to farmers, while relief efforts will address the immediate needs of affected communities.

The government described the recent rains, which began in late January, as exceptional weather events that flooded more than 110,000 hectares of land and displaced nearly 188,000 people across the four provinces.

While preventive and emergency evacuations were carried out, four people were killed last weekend near Tetouan after their vehicle was swept away by flash floods. One passenger remains missing.

The flooding has particularly affected the Gharb and Loukkos river basins, a major agricultural zone that irrigates vast cereal fields, livestock farms, and plantations producing red fruits, vegetables, and sugar beets.

Between January 11 and February 11, water inflows reached 8.82 billion cubic metres, almost equalling the 9 billion cubic metres recorded over the previous two years combined.