On September 8, 2023, a devastating earthquake struck the Atlas mountains of central Morocco, including El Haouz, Chichaoua, Ouarzazate and Taroudant. The toll was heavy: almost 3,000 dead, 5,500 injured, thousands of Atlas villages affected, with electricity cut off in a mountainous region that is difficult to access.
Consequences:
➡️ slower rescue services,
➡️ broken communications,
➡️ dangerous travel,
➡️ nights synonymous with isolation and insecurity,
➡️ and weakened social ties – vital at such times.
Faced with this situation, Electriciens sans frontières mobilized on September 12 to distribute and install 650 solar kits in the affected douars, providing an initial essential source of energy.
The Initiative Lumière pour le Maroc project was designed as a sustainable response to post-earthquake energy needs in several stages:
- Distribution and emergency installation of solar kits and lamps in the most isolated douars.
- Installation of solar-powered street lamps in assembly and temporary accommodation areas.
- Training and awareness-raising on equipment maintenance and management, with translated training materials to facilitate local ownership of the equipment.
- Preparing for the post-emergency phase: street lamps installed in the affected camps and douars will be relocated to the newly rebuilt neighborhoods to become permanent public lighting, enhancing safety, mobility and social cohesion over the long term.
- 3,000 solar lamps distributed
➤ For personal lighting, night-time mobility and phone recharging.
- 5000 solar kits installed
➤ To enable families to regain basic energy autonomy.
- 440 solar-powered streetlamps installed
➤ To make the environment safer, make getting around easier and recreate social links.
↪️ This solar equipment has improved night-time accessibility, safety and social links for over 110,000 people.
