On 26 September 2023, the Cabinet of Ministers passed a decision to allocate EUR 50,000 in financial resources to Morocco to deal with the consequences of the tragic earthquake and the same amount to Libya towards relief efforts in the wake of devastating floods.
On 8 September 2023, Morocco was struck by the strongest earthquake in the country’s history. According to the United Nations data, the devastating 6.8-magnitude quake has affected more than 300,000 people, leaving over 2,900 of them dead. Significant damage has been caused and there are many casualties, including in Morocco’s major cities.
Meanwhile, on 11 September, devastating flooding broke out in the east of Libya following Storm Daniel, which hit the port city of Dern particularly hard, causing two dams to collapse and wiping out a quarter of the city. At least 900,000 people have been affected by the tragic disaster in Libya, according to the UN. Although the figures on the loss of life varies significantly between organisations, there is no doubt that this is one of the most devastating natural disasters in Libya’s history.
In solidarity with the international community, a contribution is planned to be paid into a special account opened with the Central Bank of Morocco for the purpose of coordination of international assistance. As regards assistance to the people of Libya, payments will be made into the Latvian Red Cross account and then channelled through the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies (IFRC).
Financing has been allocated from the State budget programme, “Contingency Funds”.
In 2023, Latvia has provided support for disaster relief in Syria, Turkey, and Slovenia.