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Aid tents offer warning of Morocco quake survivor’s future

Morocco earthquake survivors in Amizmiz received yellow tents as temporary shelters, offering safety but also uncertainty amid the devastation that killed over 2,900 people and left many homes uninhabitable.

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1 year ago

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AMIZMIZ, MOROCCO — Survivors of Morocco’s earthquake were packed in a football-field length queue to get stand-ins for the homes they had lost. They received yellow tents with no floors, in a symbol of the uncertainty ahead.

Yet even this step marked progress for people like Fatima Oumalloul — her face still bloody from when her home collapsed on her three days prior. She won’t spend another night unsheltered on the ground.

“I just want a home, one fit for a human,” the 59-year-old said as soldiers handed out the tents in Amizmiz, a town south of Marrakesh that has become an aid hub for shattered Atlas mountain villages.

The shelters popping up in tent cities and beside destroyed or dangerously damaged homes show that aid is starting to flow, but also leave survivors unsure how long these temporary structures will be home.

The quake that struck Marrakesh and the regions to its south on Friday killed more than 2,900 people, according to the latest toll.

But the disaster also left a vast number of homes uninhabitable in rural areas where locals don’t have the money to quickly, or maybe even ever, rebuild without help.

Yet those questions were secondary to not dying in a building that was known to already have been damaged by the quake.

Oumalloul knows the dangers well.

She was trapped under the debris of her collapsed home until a neighbour who came to check on her ended up stepping on the spot where she was buried.

“I’m under here. Don’t step on me!” she said, recounting the moment through sobs and sitting on the bundled tent at the distribution site.

‘Everything so uncertain’

Fatima Benhamoud, whose home in Amizmiz has cracks large enough to fit a finger, got one of six-person tents too.

“Our house is synonymous with risk,” said the 39-year-old, who shared the house with her children and relatives.

“We can’t sleep inside. We have to sleep outside, so we need the tent,” she added, noting the rainy season is coming fast.

Just in front of her house, the mass of people waiting for tents on Tuesday was steady for hours.

From the distribution site, they have flowed southward along the zig-zagging, narrow mountain roads that lead toward the epicentre.

Private aid convoys, composed of individuals or associations, have also grown to the point where they create traffic bottlenecks on roads meant for far fewer vehicles.

The roads though offer a conduit that is missing in some hard-to-reach, rural areas where some residents have said authorities have failed to adequately provide help.

A 15-kilometre (10-mile) drive into the mountains — past clusters of yellow tents — leads to the devastated village of Ineghede.

Some partial structures remain, like the mosque prayer room that is missing a wall, but swathes of the village are a jumble of the timber and stones that are used in traditional-style buildings.

The tents travelled up the mountain road and into Ineghede on Tuesday and locals were busy pounding in stakes, raising poles, and then moving in their bedding and possessions.

Mohammed Amaddah, 33, pitched his tent on the dusty lot next to his damaged, but still standing home with a smile and efficiency.

But his wife Latifah leaned on the wall of their house and watched with little enthusiasm.

“I don’t want to sleep in a tent. I feel like I’m in the street,” the 24-year-old mother of one said.

But the yellow fabric flapping in the breeze is just one part of what’s bothering her.

“I feel like my heart is broken. I’m afraid of the future, it’s so uncertain,” she added.

Once the tent was up, she held her young son’s hand and looked at the tent with a blank stare. It was now her home.

“I didn’t want it,” she said.

— AFP

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International

UN General Assembly overwhelmingly adopts resolution calling for Israel to end occupation of Palestinian territories

The UN General Assembly has passed a resolution urging Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories within a year. Backed by an ICJ advisory opinion, the resolution reflects broad international opposition to the occupation, though key nations like the US opposed it.

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18 hours ago

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19 September 2024

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The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) has passed a resolution calling on Israel to end its occupation of Palestinian territories within a year, a decision that Palestine hailed as “historic.”

The nonbinding resolution, passed by a vote of 124-12 with 43 abstentions, demands Israel end its “unlawful presence” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory within 12 months and pay reparations for damages incurred during the occupation.

The resolution also backed an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which had previously declared Israel’s presence in the Palestinian territories to be unlawful.

The ICJ stressed that Israel, as an occupying power, is in violation of international humanitarian law due to its settlement activities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The UNGA vote occurred as Israel continues its military campaign in Gaza, where more than 41,250 Palestinians have been killed.

The ICJ had earlier issued rulings urging Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza and ensure adequate humanitarian aid reaches the population.

Among the 12 countries opposing the resolution were Israel, the United States, Czechia, Hungary, Argentina, and several Pacific island nations.

The US, which claims to support a two-state solution to the conflict, joined Israel in opposing the resolution.

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the resolution, calling on the international community to pressure Israel to comply.

“The international consensus over this resolution renews the hopes of our Palestinian people…to achieve its aspirations of freedom and independence,” Abbas said, emphasizing the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

NGOs Urge UN Member States to Uphold ICJ Opinion and Halt Arms Sales to Israel

Additionally, over 30 NGOs, including Amnesty International, Oxfam, and War Child, urged UN Member States to adhere to the ICJ’s advisory opinion, which denounced Israel’s decades-long occupation.

The NGOs highlighted ongoing human rights abuses such as forced displacement, settler violence, and a discriminatory permit regime limiting Palestinians’ access to essential services.

These organizations also called for a halt to arms sales to Israel, which they argue have contributed to a humanitarian catastrophe.

Singapore and Malaysia Vote in Favour of UN Resolution

Ambassador Burhan Gafoor of Singapore expressed support for the UNGA resolution based on respect for international law and the International Court of Justice.

“Singapore has always attached the greatest importance to international law and the principles of the UN Charter. ”

“We voted in favour of this resolution after careful and thorough consideration due to our respect for the International Court of Justice, which is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations as well as for international law more broadly.”

However, he highlighted several reservations, including concerns over using the ICJ’s advisory jurisdiction to address political disputes and the resolution’s potential to harden positions between Israel and Palestine.

Gafoor emphasised that any solution to the conflict must come from direct negotiations between the two parties and expressed concern over the resolution’s overreaching measures that could hinder the peace process.

Malaysia welcomed the UN’s decision to implement the ICJ ruling, noting that the UN resolution underscores the collective responsibility and legal obligations of all States and international organisations to end Israel’s illegal occupation of Palestine and seek justice for the Palestinian people.

“Malaysia urges the international community to implement the Resolution in its entirety and without delay, for the Palestinians to exercise their right to self-determination, safeguard sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as pursue socioeconomic development.”

“The resolution affirms Malaysia’s position on this long-standing issue,” the statement read.

The ICJ’s July opinion found that Israel’s occupation and annexation of Palestinian territory violated fundamental principles of international law, asserting that no state should recognize or assist Israel’s continued presence in these territories.

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International

Explosive devices target Hezbollah in Lebanon, killing 20 and injuring over 450

Explosions targeting walkie-talkies killed 20 and injured over 450 in Lebanon. The attack, suspected to be carried out by Israel, escalates tensions with Hezbollah, raising international concerns of a potential war crime.

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19 hours ago

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19 September 2024

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A coordinated series of explosions targeting walkie-talkies in Lebanon killed at least 20 people and injured more than 450 on Wednesday, prompting international concerns that the attacks may constitute a war crime.

Thousands of booby-trapped communication devices exploded across Lebanese cities, particularly in Hezbollah strongholds, just one day after a similar attack involving pagers killed 12 and injured over 2,800.

Israel is widely suspected of being behind the strikes, escalating tensions with Hezbollah.

The explosions, described as “small in size” but widespread, mark a potential shift in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group that controls parts of Lebanon.

International observers have condemned the attacks, with UN Secretary General António Guterres calling for restraint while noting that the scale and strategy of the operation suggest it could be a prelude to a broader Israeli military assault on Lebanon.

On Tuesday, Israeli media reported that the decision to detonate the devices might have been driven by fears that Hezbollah was close to discovering Israeli efforts to sabotage its communications infrastructure.

Hezbollah confirmed that its walkie-talkies had been targeted in Wednesday’s explosions.

The attacks came shortly after a meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US officials aimed at de-escalating the situation.

UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk warned that the indiscriminate nature of the explosions violated international law, as the devices targeted may have been in civilian possession.

Human Rights Watch echoed the sentiment, highlighting that booby traps such as these, which explode without specific targeting, breach international humanitarian law.

While Israel has not officially claimed responsibility for the attacks, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant praised Israeli intelligence agencies for their “great achievements” during a visit to a northern air force base, while stressing that military resources were being diverted northward to confront Hezbollah.

Netanyahu reaffirmed Israel’s commitment to returning northern Israeli residents to their homes, further suggesting a potential escalation.

Lebanese officials, including Hezbollah, have blamed Israel for the attacks, vowing retaliation. The explosions occurred during a tense period in Lebanon, where ongoing violence threatens to spiral into a broader regional conflict.

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