The cardinal, who leads the country’s small Catholic community, said that as of Sept. 11, one of the biggest physical needs of the people of Morocco is for electricity, as well as clothes, medicine, and food.
“[M]ost of all, I think they will need people to come and support them, because psychologically and spiritually they are very affected,” the cardinal said.
Difficulties in distributing aid faced by Caritas Morocco, the local branch of the worldwide Catholic charity, include the nation’s thinly dispersed population as well as widespread destroyed and damaged infrastructure, López Romero said. He said Caritas Marrakech and Caritas Morocco were, as of Sept. 11, trying to make contact with authorities and also with other associations or entities that want to help amid an “outpouring of solidarity and commitment.”
“Many civil society organizations and the government [are doing their] utmost to come to the help of these afflicted people. So we also belong to the global community and we have to be part of this whole, which must be coordinated,” López Romero continued.
“I would like to end by thanking so many people who have shown their solidarity, with emotional solidarity through messages, through prayer, but also with effective solidarity, that is, through donations that will allow us to acquire all the aid we can bring to these people and also to participate in what will be the third phase,” the cardinal concluded.
“I call it the reconstruction phase, which will take months, or maybe even years, to rebuild everything that has been destroyed. Therefore, any help won’t be enough.”