The Moroccan plan to combat the effects of the cold spell targets 755,417 people

The national plan to fight against the effects of the cold wave targets a total of 1,776 douars, located in 235 communities in 27 provinces, which account for nearly 755,417 people, including 35% of children, 51% of adults and 13% of the elderly, said the Minister Delegate to the Interior Minister, Noureddine Boutayeb, Monday in Rabat.

Responding to an oral question in the House of Representatives on the “emergency measures deployed to open up the rural population and enable it to meet its basic needs in light of the changing weather conditions in the Kingdom”, Mr Boutayeb noted that the relevant national interministerial committee met on 26 November to define the modalities for implementing the national plan to combat the effects of the cold spell.

Thus, the housing groups are divided into three categories, explains Mr. Boutayeb, specifying that 289 douars have a period of isolation of 2 to 3 days, 842 of 4 to 7 days and 645 of more than a week, which requires a great deal of attention for a population of nearly 239,000 people and 34,000 households.

The national plan is based on proactive measures that can help the population of the affected areas, particularly mountainous regions and the rural world, to overcome the cold spell, said the government official, highlighting the various measures to assist the affected population, including the activation of the steering and monitoring centre, the actions of the provincial commissions for monitoring, follow-up and continuous evaluation of the situation on the ground and the normal supply of certain areas with basic products and heating means.

Among the measures adopted, explained the Minister Delegate, are the provision of animal feed, the immediate intervention by rescue helicopters of the Gendarmerie Royaume and the Ministry of Health to come to the aid of populations in distress (pregnant women for example).

These actions also include the care and accommodation of affected people in secure reception units, to protect them from the effects of the cold spell and provide them with food and health care, he noted.

Finally, Boutayeb indicated that in application of the High Instructions of King Mohammed VI, the Ministry of the Interior, in coordination with the ministries concerned, has developed a comprehensive annual national plan to deal with the negative effects of the cold snap, on a regular basis and in accordance with a participatory methodology with various stakeholders.