The deadly cold of Amesgou

Amesgou lies in the north of Morocco in the district of Tounfite. It is not a place that normally makes the headlines and yet this quiet region has reached the national Moroccan newspapers for macabre reasons as temperatures have reached polar levels - dropping to 16°C below zero.

As a result of such extreme conditions, 12 people, including two women and 10 children under the age of one, have perished due to acute pneumopathy.

Last Thursday the authorities acted and a state of emergency was declared and a medical team has been sent to Amesgou in order to hand out treatments to those in need. More than 250 inhabitants have already been provided with medical assistance. Special care is dedicated to the babies and older persons who are more vulnerable.

This situation points out to the poor conditions of the various isolated cities in Morocco and the necessity of building adequate facilities and infrastructure. Indeed, Amesgou closest healthcare centre is more than 30 kilometres away and almost unreachable because of the snow and the bad condition of the roads.

The local health authorities are worried about the current situation of Amesgou and even though it is not the first time that the winter is fatal for people in this area, nobody has forgotten the deadly winter of 1980 when 80 people died because of a temperature drop. Hence, the worst might be yet to come…

Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news