U.S. religious groups sent aid to quake-stricken Morocco

RELIGIONS NEWS AGENCY (REDNA) – American religious organizations are rushing aid to victims of the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that struck late Friday night about 45 miles southwest of Marrakech, Morocco.

Moroccan state television says 2,862 have died and 2,562 have been reported injured. Because many of the most affected areas are in the High Atlas Mountain region, however, it may be days before a final tally is reached.

Jason Cox, vice president of international ministry for Atlanta-based Send Relief was in Athens at the time the earthquake struck.

Mr. Cox said Send Relief — a joint venture of the Southern Baptist Convention’s International and North American mission boards — will initially work to “meet the immediate needs” of food and water, but also to evaluate longer-term requirements.

Mr. Cox said the reality on the ground is harsher than news photos might suggest.

“You can see pictures but until you’re there and you see these concrete-and-rebar reinforced buildings just flattened, or five-story buildings flatten on top of themselves, this is not something people can just recover from quickly. They need housing and winter’s coming and it gets freezing in these places.”

Islamic Relief USA also has staff on-site in Morocco, assessing needs and “identifying local humanitarian organizations to work with to deliver vital aid. Food, shelter, and health care are expected to be the most urgent needs.”

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, or JDC, representatives in Casablanca, a Moroccan city unaffected by the temblor, went to Marrakech to survey the damage and prepare for long-term efforts.

Mr. Cox said that while Christian faith motivates the efforts of Send Relief, providing help in Morocco is a charitable endeavor and not a pretext for proselytizing.