MARRAKECH, Morocco – The death toll from the major Sept. 8 earthquake in Morocco has climbed beyond 2,800 as first responders continue attempts to rescue people from the rubble. Send Relief leaders and partners are on the ground, meeting needs and assessing a long-term response.
“We are praying for the people of Morocco and for the ongoing rescue and relief efforts,” said Paul Chitwood, president of the International Mission Board (IMB). “I’m especially grateful for Send Relief’s international relief team, who are already on site and working with local partners responding quickly to meet needs and share hope.”
Jason Cox, Send Relief’s vice president of international ministry, diverted from the international Serve Tour stop in Athens, Greece, to be with partners in Morocco. He has witnessed the devastation firsthand, distributed food and water, and conducted village-by-village assessments for Send Relief’s long-term recovery efforts.
Cox and a small team of partners visited a village in the Atlas Mountains. As they journeyed up to survey the damage, they were met by a group who had come from the summit.
“At the bottom of the hill, we were told not to come up. There’s no one left alive here,” Cox said in a video released by Send Relief. “We came up anyway, and there were some men at the top of the hill who welcomed us and received the relief supplies we were able to give to them.”
Concrete buildings have been flattened, and entire villages like the one Cox visited were ruined in an instant when the 6.8-magnitude tremor hit in the middle of the night.
“In the moments after the earthquake, partners of Send Relief on the ground were able to respond quickly,” Cox said. “There will not be a quick recovery from something like this, though.”
Through its partners on the ground in Morocco, Send Relief is committed to facilitating a long-term recovery plan for as many people as possible. Donations to Send Relief are the reason Send Relief has been able to respond so quickly, Cox said.
“Thank you for continuing to give,” Cox said of those who have supported Send Relief’s work. “Thank you for continuing the pray, especially for the people of Morocco, especially for the people in villages, who have to start life over.”
Send Relief has set up a web page where people can donate and discover specific prayer requests for the people of Morocco and the ongoing crisis response efforts there. To learn more, visit SendRelief.org. Cox’s video can also be viewed here, or downloaded to be shown by churches who may wish to share it with their congregations on Sunday.
Published September 12, 2023