A Moroccan woman died on Tuesday during the dismantling of a shanty town near Mohammedia, affirmed the local representative of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH, independent).

"She died in the collapse of her brother's house, whom she was visiting. He himself was seriously injured," declared Ali Fakir, of the AMDH. The victim, a mother of two children whose age was not specified, was transported to the hospital, where she died, he added.

"The authorities informed the residents that the dismantling would begin today (Tuesday) at 10:00 local time, but against all expectations they intervened four hours earlier. People were caught off guard."

Ali Fakir, AMDH

Contacted by phone, an official from the Mohammedia prefecture did not wish to comment on this matter.

In total, "26 dwellings considered illegal by the local authorities were destroyed this morning (Tuesday morning, ed.), in the Brahma 2 shanty town, near Mohammedia," specified Mr. Fakir.

Morocco, a country of nearly 35 million inhabitants, launched in 2004 a "cities without shanty towns" programme from which nearly two million people are to benefit. This had reached a completion rate of 70% at the end of 2012, according to an official report.

However, at that date, nearly one in six Moroccan city dwellers remained deprived of "decent" housing, according to the supervising minister Nabil Benabdallah.

By the end of 2013, 13 new cities are to be declared without shanty towns, he recently indicated.

On an African scale, the number of shanty town inhabitants exceeded one billion in 2011 and could double by 2030.