Morocco is set to invest roughly $330 million to aid regions hardest hit by weeks of flooding in the country’s north, which have severely impacted key agricultural areas, the government announced Thursday.
King Mohammed VI ordered a “broad support programme” to assist affected families and communities. The provinces of Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane were officially declared disaster zones, with a total budget of 3 billion dirhams (around $328 million) allocated for relief efforts.
Funds will be used to repair damaged roads and agricultural infrastructure, relocate displaced households, compensate for lost income, and restore flooded homes and businesses. Assistance will also extend to farmers and cover basic needs for affected populations.
The government reported that exceptional weather since late January has flooded more than 110,000 hectares and displaced nearly 188,000 people. Despite preventive and emergency evacuations, four people died in Tetouan last weekend when a flash flood swept away their vehicle, and one passenger remains missing.
The Gharb and Loukkos river basins, which flow into the Atlantic Ocean and irrigate the four provinces, are among Morocco’s most important agricultural zones, supporting large cereal farms, livestock operations, and major plantations of red fruits, vegetables, and sugar beets for export.
Between January 11 and February 11, water inflows reached 8.82 billion cubic metres, nearly matching the combined total of the past two years (9 billion), underscoring the severity of the flooding.