Historic sites devastated in temblor: Recap

Author TaNesha Barnes said last night’s earthquake was like nothing else she had ever felt. The walls of the American’s Marrakech area apartment complex came alive and shook throughout what she described as an achingly long-term temblor.

Afterward neighbors, all physically unharmed, gathered outside, and pretty much stayed there amid frightening aftershocks. The Moroccan people and others with roots in the region couldn’t do much about the destructive wave that pulsed across the geography of North Africa.

But Barnes said the community she now calls home has been a rock for those who need help recovering from the temblor. “People are stocking up to help other people,” she said in a Zoom interview today.

“There’s a sense of love, prayer and sharing,” said Barnes, the CEO of Mwasi Creative Community, which aims to help Black Americans heal from traumatic and often racist and discriminatory experiences through retreats in Morocco.

The city of Marrakech was alighted by entire neighborhoods moving outdoors in the wake of Friday’s quake. The response has only strengthened her resolve that it is the place for her healing community

“We stayed outside,” Barnes said. "All of our Moroccan friends called as if we were family to make sure we were OK.”

MARRAKECH, Morocco — While the airport in Casablanca felt like business as usual, crowded but calm with tourists and traveling families, the impact of the earthquake became apparent as soon as we reached the outskirts of Marrakech.

At Rond Point de la Palmeraie, the main traffic circle at the entrance to the city, hundreds of people were seen sleeping on the sidewalks and grass along the road. The rows of people sleeping then stretched along the length of the boulevard driving into the city. Some people just appeared to be sleeping on mats with a blanket over them, while others had more substantial supplies. There were some makeshift kiosks selling food and drinks in parking areas along the way.

Just a few minutes down the road though there was a line of people waiting to get into a nightclub, and across the street the patio of the McDonald’s was packed.

We haven’t seen any signs of damage yet, but we’re not in an area with the older, more affected buildings.

The U.S. Embassy in Rabat said tonight it is unaware of any reported fatalities among U.S. citizens, but said a small number of Americans may have been injured.

"We are aware of a small number of U.S. citizens injured in the earthquake and are on standby to provide all appropriate consular assistance," the embassy said in a statement.

The embassy said citizens in need of help as a result of the temblor should contact local authorities.

"We urge U.S. citizens in the affected areas who are safe to contact their loved ones directly and/or update their status on social media," the embassy said.

Celebrity chef José Andrés said today that teams from his disaster relief nonprofit World Central Kitchen were en route to provide meals to victims of Morocco's magnitude-6.8 earthquake.

"@WCKitchen teams are on their way to Morocco to help with food and water," he said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. "As we did in Turkey I’m sure the teams will adapt to bring food in hard to reach areas… "

The culinary star braced his followers for bad news as recovery efforts evolve.

"Hundreds dead, many injured but probably many under the rubble," he said. "The next 72 hours are vital to rescue people alive."

Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, says it is prepared to respond to the earthquake in Morocco.

Avril Benoît, executive director of MSF-USA, said in a statement that people who live in the affected region are “key to the initial response” when searching for survivors.

“Earthquake survivors often require medical care such as surgery or dialysis, which can be a challenge when local health systems are affected by a disaster. Restoring health services and providing essential supplies also can be a priority at this stage. Our response will depend on the needs that are assessed on site.”