Turner: 'Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco'

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner announced at the Sept. 13 Houston City Council meeting that the city will partner with the Arab American Culture and Community Center and the Moroccan Society of Houston to hold a donation drive for those impacted by the earthquake in Morocco on Sept. 16 and 17 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

"Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco,” Turner said in a press release. “As Houstonians, we understand the importance of solidarity during difficult times, and we are here to offer support and resources."

The release said that the drive seeks to collect essential items such as tents, blankets, thermos bottles, hygiene kits, socks, shoes, first aid kits and flashlights. Donations can be taken to the Arab American Cultural and Community Center at 10555 Stancliff Rd. or 8500 Market St., Ste. A.

The Associated Press (AP) reported that a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck a southern area near the city of Marrakech on Sept. 8, killing at least 2,000 people with the death toll expected to increase in the coming days and weeks. Citing the United Nations (UN), the AP reported that the earthquake affected an estimated 300,000 people. Morocco’s Interior Ministry eschewed an offer of assistance from President Joe Biden, according to the AP.

Houston NBC station KPRC News reported that Houstonian Abdelhadi Amraoui and his family were visiting relatives in Morocco when the earthquake – the strongest to hit the North African nation in more than a century – struck.

“It was quite the experience,” Amraoui told KPRC. “It was very, very scary. It’s a thing I wish nobody goes through.”

A paraplegic, KPRC reported, Amraoui directed his family, all of whom were getting ready for bed, to leave the home while he positioned himself in a corner. Per the station, everyone was safe and accounted for.