Moroccan king, central bank to donate $200M for earthquake victims

By Khalid Mejdoup and Ali Semerci

RABAT, Morocco (AA) - Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and the country’s central bank decided to donate a total of 2 billion Moroccan dirhams (about $200 million) to the bank account designated for the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the country last Friday.

On Sunday, the Moroccan government announced the establishment of special bank accounts to collect donations from citizens and local businesses to provide assistance to the affected people.

The Al Mada group, owned by the Moroccan royal family, said that it has decided to donate one billion Moroccan dirhams (about $100 million) to the special account for earthquake victims.

The donation came “on the proposal of the main shareholder, King Mohammed VI,” according to the group.

Meanwhile, the Moroccan central bank announced a contribution of one billion dirhams to the special fund to address the effects of the earthquake.

Many governmental and private bodies also decided to make donations.

At least 2,946 people were killed and 5,674 others injured when a magnitude 7 earthquake struck Morocco late Friday.

The quake was the strongest to hit the North African country in a century, according to Morocco’s National Geophysical Institute.

*Writing by Ikram Kouachi