Morocco earthquake: Number of injured doubles to over 5,500

More than 2,900 people have been killed in the earthquake in Morocco as of Tuesday evening. The number of injured people has doubled to over 5,500, while many more are still missing.

Morocco's state news agency MAP reported that King Mohammed visited a hospital in Marrakech to check on the injured and to donate blood.

Meanwhile, frustration among survivors mounts as they have to endure difficult conditions, after four nights in improvised shelters. 

France's Macron offers humanitarian aid

French President Emmanuel Macron addressed the Moroccan public in a Tuesday video message.

"I wanted to address Moroccans directly to tell you that France was devastated ... by this terrible earthquake," he said. "We will be at your side."

"We have the possibility to provide direct humanitarian aid," Macron said.

Rabat has so far ignored Paris' offers to provide aid.

"We are at the disposal of their sovereign decision," Macron said, referring to King Mohammed and the Moroccan government.

Red Cross makes urgent aid appeal

The Red Cross launched an emergency appeal on Tuesday to raise 100 million Swiss francs (€104 million, $112 million) to support victims of the earthquake.

"In this appeal, we are seeking 100 million CHF to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this time," including water, sanitation and shelter, Caroline Holt, global director of operations at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), told reporters in Geneva.

"We need to make sure that we avoid a second wave of disaster."

The 6.8-magnitude quake struck in the High Atlas mountains on Friday night, flattening entire villages and blocking access roads.

Four days on, rescue teams are still searching for survivors in the rubble, while health workers scramble to treat the thousands of people with injuries.

"This emergency response, as with many earthquakes, is a marathon," Holt said. "The people affected by the earthquake will need support for the weeks and months to come, and we will need to continue to show that solidarity and support not only now but in the future."

Rescue teams race against time

Rescue teams from Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates have arrived in Morocco to assist local teams. Many other nations have also offered help.

"The big difficulty is in zones remote and difficult to access, like here, but the injured are choppered out," Annika Coll, who heads the Spanish team, told AFP news agency from the quake-hit community of Talat Nyacoub.

Spain sent additional help of five canine rescue teams comprising "31 specialists, 15 search and rescue dogs and 11 vehicles," which was expected to arrive on Tuesday.

Khaled Abdellah Alhumaidi, an aid worker from Qatar, told DW it's a painstaking operation.

"These rescue missions always take a lot of time," he said. "You can't do it in 2-3 hours, it can sometimes take 12 hours or more, so we usually work in shifts."

Steve Davis, deputy team leader of the UK crew, said there was still hope of finding survivors, even four days on. 

"We never give up. (After the earthquake) in Turkey, we were still able to rescue survivors after seven or eight days. We stay until we're convinced there's really nothing more we can do," he told DW.

Locals say efforts not enough

Despite rescue and search efforts, some citizens say they feel abandoned by authorities, with little aid reaching some remote areas.

Mohammed Bouaziz, from the village of Moulay Brahim south of Marrakech, one of the hardest-hit areas, told AFP news agency, "We have received some help... but it's not enough." He is part of a local group attempting to address the needs of over 600 homeless residents.

The group, known as Intikala, has established nine makeshift camps and has tried to salvage items such as mattresses, blankets, and cooking utensils from remains of homes.

A number of unofficial groups have sprung up to help with the rescue effort and to provide survivors with basic necessities. Citizens have also been lining up at health care facilities to donate blood. 

The quake was Morocco's deadliest since a 1960 earthquake on its Atlantic coast that killed more than 12,000 people.

tg/nm (AFP, AP, Reuters)