Moroccans in London heartbroken as families struggle in aftermath of deadly earthquake

Londoner Isam Faik had no idea that two daysafter he returned home from Morocco, a devastating earthquake would strike his parents' village that he was visiting in the Atlas Mountains.

"It was a big scare for me when I knew the level of the earthquake.The first thing I did was try to call everyone I knew to make sure if they were okay," he said.

Although Faik'sfamily members are physically safe after surviving the powerful and rare 6.8-magnitude quake that hitthe North African country on Friday, many of them are displaced without a home.

"People are spending nights on the streets because their houses arebuilt with materials that once they crack, the risk of them falling is quite highso they'retrying to find alternatives to shelter themselves," he said. "It's a big psychological effect on people."

WATCH |Londoner reflects on shattered home in Morocco:

Londoner reflects on shattered home in Morocco

1 year ago

Duration 1:03

Isam Faik left Marrakesh two days before the earthquake hit to return to London. His family survived but now faces the tough choice of whether or not to return to their village.

As of Sunday, the death tollhas surpassed 2,100, making it Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.Damage has been especially intense around the quake's epicentrein the Al Haouzprovince, about 70 kilometres south of Marrakech.

Faik, who came back to London on Wednesday,says the rugged and remote landscape of the mountainsis proving to be a challenge in rescuing and getting aid to survivors.

"The roads have been damaged because of the earthquake, lots of rocks fell on the road so just getting to people to provide them help is complicatedand a risky operation," he said.

"There are some helicopters that tried to get to the area but even manoeuvring with them won't be easy because the villages are very scattered so getting to all of them will be hard."

He said the army has been deployed to remove obstacles from existing roads to help rescuers reach thehardest-hit villagesin the High Atlas as the death toll is expected to rise, adding that some villages have been completely wiped out.

WATCH | Aid workerdiscusses the needs facing Morocco:

Moroccans need clean water to avoid 'secondary calamity' after quake, aid worker says

1 year ago

Duration 3:15

Rahul Singh, the executive director of the humanitarian relief group GlobalMedic, discusses the needs facing Morocco after a devastating earthquake and the challenges of providing support.

'It's really heartbreaking'

News of the earthquake was especially shocking for Abdallah Haida whose wife and two young kids are currently in Morocco. Despite them being safe in Casablanca, more than 200 kilometres away from Marrakech, Haida said they also felt the aftershocks of the quake.

"I have many friends in the villages who have lost family members and it's very painful," saidHaida who isvice-president of theMoroccan Association of London Ontario.

Many historic sites in Marrakech, including the famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century,have sustained damage. Watching the destruction of the buildings he grew up around has been difficult for Haida.

"It's really heartbreakingand hard for everybody to see people suffering and seeing our history destroyed," he said."We're doing our best here, it's really hard being so far away."

In London, the local Moroccan community has been gathering over the weekend to pray for the victims of the natural disasterand collectively discussing ways to help their loved ones back home, said Faik.

Haida saidhis team is working with global agencies such as Islamic Relief Canada and local charities in Morocco to help send money and basic necessities to those impacted by the tragedy.

Morocco has declared three days of mourning and King Mohammed VI called for prayers for the dead to be held at mosques across the country on Sunday.