The Head of Government chairs the seventh meeting of the interministerial committee in charge of the reconstruction and general rehabilitation program for the areas affected by the Al-Haouz earthquake

• Allocate more than 800 million dirhams to repair roads in affected areas.
• 70,000 head of the herd will be distributed to sheep farmers in the affected provinces.
• Sponsoring 8,000 pupils and resuming classes in the affected areas.
• Rehabilitation of 42 priority health centers to begin in December.

The Head of Government, Mr. Aziz Akhannouch, chaired, on Tuesday, November 21, 2023, in Rabat, the seventh meeting of the interministerial committee in charge of the reconstruction and general rehabilitation program for the areas affected by the Haouz earthquake, where the status of progress made in implementing this program was assessed. The committee reviewed the outcome of the various sectoral interventions related to dealing with the effects of the Al-Haouz earthquake, in implementation of the High Royal Instructions.
During this meeting, the committee reviewed the progress of road opening works and removing the rubble of public buildings and houses destroyed by the earthquake, where an emergency program worth 810 million dirhams was prepared in this regard, to confront the effects of the earthquake and repair the damage caused to the road network, as two sections of the national road No. 7 linking "Ouirgane" and "Tlat N'yacoub " in the province of Al-Haouz for a length of 34 km, and "Tizi N’Test" and "Tafengoult" in the province of Taroudant for a length of 30 km, at a total estimated cost of about 340 million dirhams as a first half. Studies related to the second section of the same road, as well as the road linking "Ouirgane" and "Tlat N'yacoub in the province of Al-Haouz, are in the process of being completed. The committee noted the efforts of the equipment sector to open unclassified roads and rural paths, pointing out that it was able to reach a total of 624 km at the level of 300 roundabouts and 4 provinces. 
The committee studied the project to build the Tassa Ouikkan Dam, with a storage capacity of 3 million cubic meters, at an estimated cost of 449.6 million dirhams, in order to achieve local development, valorize local products and encourage ecotourism, as work on this project is expected to start in January 2024. 
 

The process of removing the rubble of public buildings and houses destroyed by the earthquake will include 2,687 roundabouts, costing 300 million dirhams, and will be implemented under the partnership agreement signed between the Ministry of Equipment and Water and the Ministry of Interior, through which the Ministry of Equipment and Water is committed to providing public works mechanisms, while the Ministry of Interior will provide the necessary manpower and equipment.
In the agricultural sector, the distribution of barley to farmers in the affected areas was monitored, with about 500,000 quintals mobilized. In a related context, 126 km of irrigation has been rehabilitated, and the rehabilitation of hydro-agricultural equipment in small and medium rural circuits has begun. The committee recorded the signing of the programmed agreement with the National Association of Sheep and Goat Breeders, thanks to which 70,000 heads of the herd will be distributed.  The committee also agreed to continue the restoration and construction of rural paths and roads, which were launched last October and will cover 54 km at the level of the affected provinces.
At the level of Education, the committee highlighted the efforts made in the affected areas, which culminated in the resumption of classes by 8,000 students to continue their studies under the supervision of 300 educational staff, and provided with laptops and other study equipment, which would contribute to supporting these children during the educational process. In addition, 830 classroom tents and 375 other vehicles were prepared.
In the health sector, with regard to the rehabilitation of 42 priority health centers, works will begin in the first week of December 2023, and these centers will be ready to receive citizens in June 2024.  
During the meeting, the Head of Government stressed that the various sectors concerned are mobilized, in implementation of the High Royal Instructions, in order to respond to the expectations of the local population and provide appropriate solutions to them, stressing the government's keenness to implement this program quickly and effectively, with the aim of making the reconstruction process a success, in parallel with the rehabilitation of territorial areas, and accelerating the absorption of the social deficit within these areas.
Mr. Aziz Akhannouch praised the positive interaction of the Parliament in both chambers and its contribution to accelerating the approval of draft law No. 57.23 approving Decree-Law No. 2.23.870 on the creation of the High Atlas Development Agency, which will soon be published in the Official Bulletin.