Belgian aid workers fly to Morocco

24 February 2004

BRUSSELS – Belgium on Wednesday sent rescue workers and equipment to Morocco as part of the international community’s response to the major earthquake that hit the country early on Tuesday morning.

A Hercules transport aircraft with a dozen rescue workers on board and carrying emergency gear including tents, electrical generators and water purification equipment left the Melsbroek military airfield at around 8am on Wednesday morning.

The aircraft was due to arrive in the Al-Hoceima region in north-eastern Morocco at around midday.

A second Belgian plane carrying more rescue workers and equipment was also on its way to the disaster zone on Wednesday, the Belgian authorities have confirmed.

Meanwhile, Belgium’s large Moroccan community has begun to gather money and other aid for their disaster-struck compatriots. There are around 250,000 Moroccan people living in Belgium and three quarters of them have families in the north east of the country. One of the biggest campaigns is being co-ordinated by the Moroccan association “Dar El Ward”.

Belgium’s humanitarian efforts form part of a wider international aid campaign that has already seen France and Spain send rescue workers and equipment to Morocco.

Portugal and Germany have also offered their support as have international organisations such as the Red Cross and the United Nations.

As Expatica was updated, the latest provisional death toll from the earthquake was 500 with a further 300 people injured.

Subject: Belgian news