Water Mission deploys to Morocco to determine clean water relief efforts

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A North Charleson-based nonprofit has deployed teams to see how they can help with relief efforts in Morocco after last week’s deadly earthquake.

Water Mission said they already have a team on the ground near Marrakech following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake that has killed more than 2,900 people and injured several thousand others.

Senior Director of Disaster Response Brock Kreitzburg said they are looking at what they can do to help provide clean water to affected villages and communities.

The nonprofit shared photos depicting multiple damaged and crumbling buildings. They said the hardest impacted areas are in the mountains surrounding Marrakech.

Kreitzburg said some water sources have been destroyed, and people are sleeping outside after the quake.

He said they are working with a church in Morocco to understand what needs to be done to get safe water flowing in the mountains.

They are looking for water sources like rivers and wells to provide clean water for people to drink and bathe. The non-profit provides treatment stations that can purify water from the source.

Unlike their recent response to an earthquake in Turkey, what’s giving them trouble so far is just getting to these damaged areas.

“Most of the roads in Turkey were accessible, where here, they’re very small roads that rocks have fallen,” Kreitzburg said. “You are taking a 4x4 to get to those areas. I’m seeing people are actually hiking to these different communities to understand what the impact of the earthquake was.”

Water Mission has not yet sent any supplies to the region. They expect to know in the next few days where their supplies and water treatment stations are needed most.

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