This handout picture provided by the Moroccan agency press (MAP) on September 20, 2023, shows Morocco s King Mohammed VI chairing a working session devoted to the reconstruction and general upgrading program of the regions affected by the Al Haouz earthquake in the Royal Palace in the capital Rabat. MAP/AFP
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Al-Haouz province south of Marrakesh on September 8, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring thousands more.
The government said in a statement it was setting aside 120 billion dirhams ($11.7 billion) to help 4.2 million inhabitants affected by the quake over a period of five years.
The funds would be used to "rehouse affected people, reconstruct homes and restore infrastructure", said the statement published at the end of a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI.
The earthquake razed thousands of homes in central Morocco, including the High Atlas mountain range, forcing families to sleep out in the open with winter around the corner.
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