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Moroccan authorities ordered a full evacuation of the city of Ksar El Kebir in the country’s northwest, as heavy rainfall caused flooding in several areas.
Ksar El Kebir Mayor Mohamed El Simo said on Tuesday evening, in video remarks circulated by media outlets, that there is no option left but for everyone to leave to avoid any loss of life.
"I am asking residents, in a responsible manner, everyone must leave Ksar El Kebir,” he ordered.
The authorities fear that the unprecedented rainfall in the area could raise the volume of water being discharged through the Loukkos River from the Oued Al-Makhazin dam, which has exceeded its capacity, reaching about 140% for the first time, potentially flooding the city.
For her part, Moroccan lawmaker Zineb El Simo told Anadolu that authorities decided to close the city and completely evacuate residents.
These procedures follow new warnings of unprecedented rainfall expected in the area tonight, which would raise the level of water flowing from the Oued Al-Makhazin dam.
The city’s exits, home to about 120,000 residents, saw long lines of departing cars and trucks heading in different directions.
El Simo told Anadolu on Monday that authorities completed the evacuation, representing about 70% of the city’s population, before evacuation operations were expanded on Tuesday.
Last Friday, the Moroccan army announced it was mobilizing human and logistical resources for immediate intervention to help those affected.
As of Wednesday, the volume of water stored in the country’s dams reached 9.26 billion cubic meters, a level not recorded since July 2019, according to government data.
Political and human rights organizations and civil society groups agreed on the need to declare the city of Ksar El Kebir, which was affected by flooding from the Loukkos River, a “disaster area.”
The move would enable a comprehensive government response and allow those affected to receive compensation from the Solidarity Fund against natural disasters, especially after the full evacuation of residents.
Groups including the Tangier Bar Association, the Democratic Organization of Labor, the Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights in Larache, the Moroccan Human Rights Space, the Forum for Human Rights in Northern Morocco, and lawmaker Fatima Tammni called for urgent government action commensurate with the scale of the damage.
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