Morocco’s Earthquake, 2023

The recent earthquake in Morocco has brought suffering to thousands. With rescue efforts finding survivors underway, it is too early to know how many thousands have perished, how many more are wounded, and how many have lost their homes and livelihoods. AMURTEL, alongside Amurt, our partner in disaster relief, will be providing psychological trauma support and providing child-friendly spaces for displaced children.

We realize this is close on the heals of our appeal for support for relief efforts in Maui, Hawaii, and in Turkey. These are difficult times, and AMURTEL is committed to helping the most vulnerable whenever and wherever we can. Your continued support is gratefully appreciated.

Video by Melinda Endrefey, AMURTEL Emergency Mental Health Trauma Psychologist.

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September 15, 2023

Morocco day 3 report from the PSS team led by Melinda.

A woman in a wheelchair due to a serious injury during the earthquake, sitting in one of the emergency tents, suggested me to go to the hospital to help people who suffer more than her. At the clinic, while visiting the affected children, the doctors admitted that they do not know how to deal with the stress that comes with giving bad news. The vast majority of patients have lost family members or need amputations. So, yesterday we planned four courses, and today we had more than 110 doctors. During the training, the doctors asked us to organise further mental health self-care sessions because they were mentally drained. One of them said: “No one takes care of us; we always have to be strong.” By mentioning that we could offer them art therapy for debriefing, 90% of the participants signed up. Once again, AMURTEL is doing unique things, adapting to people’s real needs. Since very few pay attention to mental health during a disaster, it will be more than necessary to continue our mission. We could build up early resilience in key caregivers.

Melinda
Euroasia representative for International Federation of Emergency Psychology