DR ‹ › Following the exceptionally severe weather that has affected the Kingdom over the past two months, particularly in the Gharb plain and the Loukkos region, King Mohammed VI, has given his instructions to the government to roll out a wide-ranging aid and support program for affected families and populations, and to adopt the regulatory measures required in such circumstances. In this regard, the Head of Government has issued a decree declaring the severe weather a natural disaster and designating the municipalities in the four most impacted provinces—Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane—as disaster-stricken areas, according to a statement from the Department of the Head of Government. The same source indicated that the government has established a support and assistance program with an estimated budget of 3 billion dirhams, developed on the basis of a thorough field assessment and a precise evaluation of the economic and social repercussions of the severe weather. The program is structured around the following components: - Assistance for rehousing, income loss, the rehabilitation of damaged homes and small businesses, as well as the reconstruction of collapsed houses, totaling 775 million dirhams. - In-kind aid and strengthened emergency interventions on the ground to meet the immediate and essential needs of affected populations, amounting to 225 million dirhams. - Support for farmers and livestock breeders, with a budget of 300 million dirhams. - Investments in the rehabilitation of road and hydro-agricultural infrastructure, as well as the restoration of basic networks, totaling 1.7 billion dirhams. King Mohammed VI has further instructed the government to implement this program with exemplary conduct, speed, and a strong sense of responsibility, enabling citizens in the affected areas to return to normal living conditions as quickly as possible, the statement added. It is worth recalling that the exceptional weather conditions led to the flooding of more than 110,000 hectares and the displacement of nearly 188,000 people in the provinces of Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane, the statement concluded.
