More than 50,000 people have been evacuated from their homes in northern Morocco after severe weather and torrential rainfall swept through several provinces, the interior ministry said on Tuesday.
The evacuations began on Friday, with the worst impact reported in Larache province. The city of Ksar El Kebir, around 100 kilometres south of Tangier, has been particularly hard hit by flooding, according to the ministry.
Many displaced residents have been taken in by relatives in safer areas, while those in need of assistance were moved to temporary shelters established by the authorities.
Morocco’s national weather service has forecast continued heavy rainfall, strong winds and snowfall at elevations above 1,500 metres from Monday through Wednesday across a number of provinces.
The government said the Moroccan army has been deployed to assist with relief operations on the orders of King Mohammed VI.
The latest flooding comes amid growing concern over extreme weather in the region. In December, sudden floods in Safi killed 37 people, marking Morocco’s deadliest weather-related disaster in the past decade.
Neighbouring Algeria has also been affected in recent weeks, with floods claiming the lives of two people, including a child. In Tunisia, at least five people have died and others remain missing after the country experienced its heaviest rainfall in more than 70 years last month.
