A travel writer landed in Morocco just hours after a deadly earthquake struck in the High Atlas mountain region. She sent a dispatch from the ground in Marrakech, along with a vetted list of aid organizations.

On September 9, as Morocco’s High Atlas mountain region was reeling from the impact of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck at 11:11 p.m. the night before, I landed in Casablanca and made my way to Marrakech, about 45 miles northeast of the epicenter, to attend an annual travel conference. The massive tremor has left nearly 3,000 people dead at the time of writing, and at least 5,500 injured, according to Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior. And the figures are expected to rise.

The epicenter of the quake was in the Al Haouz province, an area of particular natural beauty, with red earth, pine-covered mountains, and clear rivers popular with hikers and trekkers. Many of the hardest hit areas, where villages have been reduced to rubble and houses flattened, are in remote, hard-to-reach places, making rescue and relief efforts even more challenging.

The quake also rocked Marrakech, causing damage to some parts of the Medina, the city’s historic quarter. Many residents chose to sleep outside in the immediate aftermath, too afraid to return indoors for fear of aftershocks and unsure if their homes were safe. In the two days following the earthquake, the air was filled with the almost constant sound of sirens as ambulances transported injured to the city’s hospitals.

Now, just days later, there’s a keen sense in the city that, in spite of the tragedy, life has to go on. In addition to trying to get their daily lives back on track, there is a huge citizen-driven push to support the relief efforts. The streets are busy, debris has been cleared, and shops, hotels, and restaurants have reopened their doors.

Many Marrakech residents rely on tourism directly or indirectly, and they are worried about the effect the disaster will have on visitation. Taxi drivers, shop owners, and hotel staff have all told me in the past days that they fear media reports will scare visitors away just as the tourist industry was recovering from the impact of COVID.

Prior to COVID, tourism made up 12 percent of Morocco’s GDP, and the industry was seeing a strong recovery in 2022, with close to 10.86 million tourists coming to the country last year, a recovery rate of more than 80 percent compared to 2019, according to data from the World Tourism and Travel Council.

Mike McHugo, owner of Kasbah du Toubkal, cofounder of Education For All, and involved in tourism in Marrakech since 1978, highlights the importance of tourism coming back when the time is right, based on the tangible impacts it has had in some of the poorest areas of the country.

“The buildings in Imlil, the village where Kasbah du Toubkal is located and a trekking center, are virtually untouched and have largely stood up to the earthquake,” McHugo told Afar. “This is a village that has benefited from tourism money, leading to people having the ability to build more modern houses and infrastructure. Tourism has indirectly improved the lives of the local population.”

For those with upcoming travel plans to Morocco, the hope here is that rather than cancel, travelers who don’t feel comfortable coming now, will simply postpone to a later date. The reality on the ground is that the vast majority of the country has been unaffected—Morocco is a large country, approximately the size of the state of California. Popular destinations like Casablanca, Tangier, Rabat, and the desert areas have not been affected by the earthquake (while the shaking was felt farther afield, these areas didn’t suffer any severe damage). It will take time for the High Atlas mountain areas to recover. But even in Marrakech, with the exception of some riads [a traditional Moroccan home with a courtyard, some are now small hotels] in the Medina, hotels are welcoming guests, restaurants and rooftop terraces are busy with residents and visitors, and shops are open, and Marrakech residents are keen to welcome visitors back. If you’re planning on visiting in the next weeks and months, be sure to get the latest regarding the current situation from your travel provider and hotel.

Those trying to communicate with a travel company or hotel in Marrakech, bear in mind that some businesses may be slow to respond as residents deal with the physical and psychological toll of the earthquake and its impacts. If it takes a while to get a response, a bit of patience and empathy will go a long way. While there’s definitely a sense of “business as usual” on the ground, the people of the region have been through a terrifying experience, and are still feeling it.

How to help Morocco right now

There are many organizations on the ground—both international groups and local ones—supporting disaster relief efforts in the affected communities. Gaining access to the more remote villages situated near the epicenter of the earthquake has proved challenging, and it is taking time for some areas to receive adequate support. Here’s our vetted list of organizations that are currently working to provide aid and relief to the affected communities.

Intrepid Foundation

To donate: intrepidfoundation.org

Intrepid Foundation, the charitable arm of global tour operator Intrepid Travel, is matching all donations to its Morocco Earthquake Appeal up to $64,000 and is covering 100 percent of the administration costs. The appeal is supporting Education For All, an organization that enables girls in rural communities to continue their education by building and running boarding houses near secondary schools, and the High Atlas Foundation, a Moroccan association and U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works in the Atlas Mountains on a number of community-designed development initiatives. Both organizations are currently supporting affected communities by providing those affected with supplies, food, water, and shelter.

“The generous support to our emergency appeal is allowing our two long-term partners, Education for All and the High Atlas Foundation, to provide much-needed emergency relief to families and communities in the worst affected areas,” Intrepid Travel’s Morocco-based managing director EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) Zina Bencheikh told Afar. “Many in these hard-to-reach mountain communities have lost their homes and livelihoods, and both partners are helping to support them through this incredibly tough time.”

World Central Kitchen

To donate: wck.org

Founded in 2010 by chef José Andrés, nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen (WCK) produces and distributes fresh meals in response to crises, working with local chefs and community partners, including Amal Non Profit, a Marrakech-based training school teaching professional-level cooking skills to women under the guidance of experienced chefs and helping them secure jobs in the local food sector. WCK is currently using helicopters to deliver food and water to hard-hit areas in the High Atlas region and is assisting with evacuations.