Case study: WASH ERU deployments, Morocco Earthquake 2023

On September 8, 2023, a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck central Morocco, killing 2,946 and injuring 5,674 people, with 59,674 houses damaged or destroyed. The IFRC responded by launching an Emergency Appeal and deploying two WASH ERUs, supported by multiple National Societies. The close integration of the two ERUs and high adaptability to the context helped provide critical services and relief to affected populations and supported Moroccan Red Crescent to negotiate further access and mandate in the response.

From 20 December it was decided to merge the MSM20 and M15 ERUs into one joint WASH ERU team led by Swedish Red Cross. The inclusion of four delegates from Africa and MENA Regions in the WASH ERU team was critical to providing quality support to affected populations, fostering relevant exchange of experiences and strengthening the capacity of the ERU as well as Moroccan Red Crescent. Dedicated Movement collaboration to enable and support these regional deployments reinforced commitments to IFRC localization goals and increased diversity within the ERU while offering valuable lessons along the way.