The Minister of Islamic Affairs and Endowments of Morocco, Ahmed Toufiq, has announced a comprehensive plan to restore over 2,290 mosques that were damaged by the devastating earthquake on September 8, which struck central Morocco.
According to reports from Saturday, Toufiq stated that the total cost of the repairs is estimated at 1.2 billion dirhams ($120 million), with the project expected to take three years.
In response to questions from parliamentarians about delays in the restoration work, Toufiq provided detailed information about the geographic distribution of the affected mosques. The mosques are located in six provinces: Al Haouz, Chichaoua, Taroudant, Ouarzazate, Azilal, and Marrakech.
To efficiently manage the restoration process, the ministry has established a special central unit that deals with the supervision and implementation of the rehabilitation program for religious and endowment buildings.
The first phase includes technical assessments for 129 mosques in the prefecture of Marrakech, aiming to determine the specific nature of the repairs required.
The assessment phase is budgeted at 979,000 dirhams ($97,900). Additionally, 32 mosques have already undergone restoration works with a price tag of over 28,363,001 dirhams ($2.84 million).
The minister also emphasized efforts to ensure the continuity of religious practices during the restoration period.
He explained that the ministry has designated 31 alternative locations, in collaboration with various stakeholders, to ensure that communities can continue their religious activities without interruption.
The devastating earthquake resulted in nearly 3,000 deaths and destroyed thousands of villages, leaving entire communities homeless.
Following the tragedy, Morocco unveiled a series of measures to assist the affected regions, including a comprehensive five-year rehabilitation plan under a budget of $11 billion.
MOROCCO WORLD NEWS
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