The Moroccan diaspora in France has launched a fundraiser to support residents affected by the current flooding in northern Morocco. The association Réseau, spearheaded by its Paris-based president Fatima Zahra, has collected essential supplies for affected communities. Ph. / DR ‹ › Flooding in northern Morocco has affected hundreds of residents. In Ksar El Kebir, near the swollen Loukkos River, some of the hardest-hit areas saw residents moved and sheltered away from flood-prone zones. As of Friday, more than 154,000 people had been evacuated under precautionary arrangements aimed at managing the ongoing flooding in the region. In addition to local actors, members of the Moroccan diaspora in France have mobilized to support affected populations. Fatima Zahra, a France-based humanitarian activist, launched a fundraising campaign through her association, Réseau, to help affected residents cope with these difficult moments. Currently in Morocco with her team, Fatima Zahra is distributing the supplies collected through the fundraiser. «We launched a fundraiser and in less than 24 hours, we raised money for this action», the 27-year-old, born in France, told Yabiladi on Friday from Sidi Kacem, another province impacted by the floods. A Truck Loaded With Essential Supplies Along with an eight-member team, she brought supplies that could fit in their luggage, including clothes, diapers, and medicines, a first step ahead of the arrival of a truck carrying additional essential items. The truck, expected to cross into Morocco via the Beni Ensar port in Nador on Saturday, is loaded with approximately €6,000 worth of supplies, including «clothes, rain boots, blankets, mattresses for people with back problems, diapers, formula milk, baby clothes, and sanitary pads», she said. According to Fatima Zahra, an additional €1,200 has been spent over the past two days to provide water, milk, and blankets for residents in the Sidi Kacem and Sidi Slimane areas. «We are now preparing sandwiches for the affected people, as well as for authorities and workers currently deployed near the affected zones», she added. The association's team initially began their efforts in Al Hoceima but later decided to focus on the most severely affected regions. «In Al Hoceima, we felt that people were not as urgently in need as other provinces», Fatima Zahra explained. Working alongside local authorities, residents, and grassroots organizations such as the Yallah Ntaawno association, under the guidance of its president Nawal Filali, Fatima Zahra and her team plan to tour the affected areas to provide as much assistance as possible. «People in France want to help, the Moroccan community, French citizens, and Moroccan Jews as well», she said. Fatima Zahra, who works with France's emergency housing services (115) and manages several facilities providing accommodation to people in vulnerable situations, said discussions are underway to launch another fundraising campaign to provide additional aid during the first week of Ramadan. «I left my business in Paris to be able to carry out this humanitarian action», she said. This is not Fatima Zahra's first humanitarian initiative. In 2023, following the deadly Al Haouz earthquake, she spearheaded a similar operation, raising funds and distributing food, clothing, and supplies to affected communities. Fatima Zahra summed up her motivation simply: «We would do anything for our country».
