Morocco highly appreciates Egypt's solidarity in wake of deadly quake, Egypt's Ambassador to Rabat

CAIRO – 11 September 2023: Egypt's Ambassador to Morocco Yasser Othman asserted that Morocco highly appreciated the solidarity of Egypt's leadership and people in the wake of the deadly quake that hit the country on Friday, leaving more than 2,000 people killed.

In statements, Monday, Othman said Egypt asserted its support for Morocco at the highest levels as President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has sent a message to Moroccan King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan people to show solidarity in such tragedy.

He went on to say that Egypt was keen, through the statement of the Foreign Ministry, to be among the first countries that voiced full solidarity with the Moroccan fellows to help ease the impact of the damage caused by the quake that was the strongest of its kind in decades.

As regards the conditions of the Egyptian community in the Kingdom, Ambassador Othman explained that a crisis management cell has been formed at the Embassy to follow up conditions of Egyptians in Morocco.

He also noted that the Egyptian Embassy has contacted the various Moroccan authorities and associations of Egyptian communities in the various cities to ensure the safety of all Egyptians, adding that there are not any reports on victims among Egyptians so far.

The Embassy is following up the situation round-the-clock, he reiterated.

President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi offered his sincere condolences to the Moroccan people and King Mohammed VI for the victims of the terrible earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and left over 1,400 others in critical condition on Friday night.

“I sincerely wish the injured a speedy recovery,” said El-Sisi, adding “I affirm the solidarity of Egypt's government and people with Morocco.”

A 6.8-magnitude quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), USGS said, with the epicenter located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination, according to CNN.

No Egyptian nationals have been reported among the victims of the devastating earthquake that struck some Moroccan cities and provinces Friday evening, said the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Ahmed Abu Zeid in a statement on Saturday.