A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on Sept. 8 near the Atlas Mountains, in Morocco. 2,000 people have died and many more have been injured in both the initial shock as well as the aftershocks and rubble left behind.
“I can’t imagine the fear of losing everything so quickly, the death toll is devastating,” sophomore Anabella Terry said. “You hear a lot about the earthquakes in San Francisco so we are used to the effects and know how to deal with it, but Morocco isn’t known for its earthquakes so they might not be able to deal with it as well,”
The Moroccan infrastructure isn’t equipped to deal with earthquakes and many of their buildings are made of mud brick and crumble easily under the impact of earthquakes, according to ArchAfrica. This is in direct opposition to much of San Franciscan infrastructure which is largely meant to defend against earthquakes like natural disasters, according to One SF.
It is widely understood that climate change will create a more harmful environment in all situations. As the world reconciles with the realities of climate change, the effects of natural disasters may become exacerbated even unrelated catastrophes may become more strenuous for an already strained system, according to The United States Geological Survey
“Like most humanitarian crises, the immediate need is aid, whether monetary or through USAID and food programs,” said English teacher Douglas Arnwine. “Typically countries with poor building construction/without governmentally enforced-building codes and higher levels of population density often suffer far greater losses of life and infrastructure damage,”
There are a number of reputable sources where donations can be made toward the effort to help the Moroccan people. In addition to in-school club based ways to donate, some reputable sources include the Doctors Without Borders program, Islamic Relief USA and Global Giving.
“The last time I saw the death count it was around 600, but now it is closer to 2,500 which is devastating,” junior Tabitha Martin said. “I hope we can help somehow, maybe through donations or UNICEF club,”
Convent students understand the position of the Moroccan people and share a global understanding of this destruction, as earthquakes can be felt in the Bay Area as well as Morocco; it is a cross borders kind of catastrophe, according to The World Health Organization.
“As someone living in the Bay Area I’ve grown up with the realities of earthquakes and they are a semi-frequent occurrence in my life,” Terry said. “We feel them sometimes in the night and see pictures of San Francisco devastated by the 1909 earthquakeI hope the Moroccan people overcome this devastation,”
