Family members console each other near the rubble of collapsed buildings in the village of Imi N’Tala near Amizmiz in central Morocco after a deadly magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit the country last week. —AFP
MANILA, Philippines — In the wake of the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that rocked Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) is considering deploying the Philippine Inter-Agency Humanitarian Contingent (PIAHC) to assist.
Civil Defense Administrator and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said that arrangements for the potential deployment are already underway.
“We are deeply saddened by the aftermath of the earthquake that hit Morocco,” Nepomuceno said. “We want to assure Morocco that the Philippines is more than willing to extend assistance to support the ongoing response operations.”
MORE: PH’s 87-man rescue team all set for deployment to quake-hit Turkey
The OCD indicated that the humanitarian contingent would consist of members from their own ranks, as well as:
- 525th Engineering Combat Battalion-Philippine Army
- 505th Search and Rescue Group-Philippine Air Force
- Bureau of Fire Protection-Special Rescue Unit
- Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
- Davao Rescue 911
- Department of Health
Nepomuceno also urged the public to participate actively in the country’s earthquake resilience initiatives.
“It is terrifying that in just seconds, an earthquake could claim many lives and leave massive destruction. Through the whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, we should strengthen our prevention, mitigation, and preparedness measures against earthquakes,” he said.
The devastating earthquake in Morocco occurred on September 8. Thousands of fatalities and injuries have already been reported, with numbers anticipated to rise as search, rescue, and retrieval operations continue.
In February 2023, following a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Turkey that resulted in over 50,000 deaths and more than 125,000 injuries, the Philippines dispatched the PIAHC to offer assistance.