Swiss Embassy in Morocco Contributes to Efforts of Moroccan Government with Financial Aid of 3.1 Mln MAD

Rabat - The Swiss Embassy in Morocco has announced its contribution to efforts by the Moroccan government and civil society, to mitigate the social and economic impact of the health crisis, with a financial aid of 3.1 million dirhams. In a statement, the Swiss Embassy in Morocco affirmed its commitment along with the various partners to provide support to categories affected by the consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic, adding that "thanks to a combination of approaches targeting people in situations of extreme vulnerability, its action targets several segments relating to children, marginalized populations, migrants and women victims of violence".

Regarding the protection of vulnerable children in Morocco, the embassy said that this aspect was reinforced in partnership with the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), through the continuity of protection services, emphasizing that nearly 550 children deprived of parental or family protection, in streets or on the move will benefit from care, appropriate alternative protection, school activities, vocational training, direct assistance and/or foodstuffs. Concerning the partnership with the Oxford Committee for famine relief (Oxfam), the embassy said that on the basis of financial and technical support, the protection and resilience capacities of 1,500 people particularly affected by the measures taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic will be reinforced. These beneficiaries will benefit from direct assistance to meet their basic needs and guarantee their individual protection against all forms of aggression.

Vulnerable private sector actors, including young self-employed entrepreneurs, women's cooperatives, micro businesses operating in the most affected sectors, will receive direct assistance to keep jobs. As part of a humanitarian operation by the Diocese of Rabat, authorized by local authorities, the poor migrant populations of Rabat will benefit from economic support in terms of food aid, in addition to support from the Food Bank intended for nearly 200 families, from around fifty villages in the province of Taroudant, it said.

In terms of protection of women and in partnership with the Federation of Women's Rights Leagues (FLDF), the campaign against gender-based violence and inequality during the Covid-19 pandemic will be reinforced through the maintenance of hotlines by psychologists and lawyers and the allocation of financial assistance to more than 1,000 women victims of violence.