This meeting, chaired by the Wali of the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region and Governor of Beni Mellal province, Mohamed Benribak, and attended by heads of external services and communes concerned with the cold wave, comes in implementation of the High Royal Instructions to mobilize all logistical means and human resources to provide support and assistance to citizens to face the cold wave experienced by many regions of the Kingdom.
In a speech on the occasion, Mr. Benribak emphasized the importance of this meeting, which falls within the framework of implementing the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, who pays special attention to the population of mountainous areas and their assistance during periods of snowfall and rainfall, noting that the regional plan to combat the effects of the cold wave has identified 75 Douars belonging to 9 communes located at an altitude exceeding 1,500 meters, which are severely threatened by the cold wave and isolation due to snowfall and harsh weather conditions during the winter season.
He highlighted that, within the framework of implementing the national plan to mitigate the effects of the cold wave during the winter for the 2024-2025 season, the Provincial Committee for Monitoring, Vigilance, and Evaluation has been activated with the aim of ensuring the supply of basic necessities normally, in addition to various heating means, as well as ensuring the provision and distribution of livestock feed.
He continued that all logistical and human resources have been mobilized to break the isolation of areas exposed to snowfall, and to ensure permanent connection of villages to the telephone network, in addition to appropriate intervention to care for pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases.
Mr. Benribak recalled the efforts made by local authorities to identify people in need of care during the cold wave, stating that, within the framework of this regional plan, 205 pregnant women whose due dates coincide with the activation of the plan have been counted, and 24 homeless people will be transported to safe places.
In this regard, he urged all concerned actors to show more vigilance and activate proactive and appropriate measures, as well as rationalize the available logistical resources, pointing to the importance of adopting a proximity approach with the population, developing flood prevention strategies, and strengthening stocks of essential medicines, especially for treating chronic diseases in health centers near areas exposed to the cold wave.
He also stressed the need to intensify medical campaigns directed at the population of areas affected by the cold wave, while ensuring the transfer of urgent cases to specialized treatment institutions.
Mr. Benribak also called for strengthening snow removal and isolation-breaking means to ensure rapid intervention, emphasizing the need to provide enough firewood, blankets, and food supplies for the population of the concerned areas, without neglecting the provision of feed for livestock.
For their part, the heads of external services reviewed, during this meeting, the broad lines of the proactive action programs launched by their services in coordination with other stakeholders.
It was also emphasized the importance of holding regular meetings of local vigilance committees in order to identify and accurately diagnose the constraints facing isolation-breaking operations and those hindering the fields of health, education, and agriculture.
The communes affected by the cold wave in Beni Mellal are Aghbala, Tizi N'Isly, Boutferda, Naour, Ait Oum El Bekht, Tighzirt, Tanougha, Foum El Anceur, and Foum Oudi. The communes include 75 Douars located at an altitude exceeding 1,500 meters, with a total population of 35,720 people, i.e., 7,440 families.
In order to face the risks associated with this cold wave, the Provincial Delegation for Health has established a special health system for the 2024-2025 winter season, which includes strengthening mobile intervention teams and scheduling 97 field visits and 3 medical caravans.
In implementation of the High Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, the services of the Ministry of Interior, along with all ministries and concerned sectors and various stakeholders, have mobilized to take emergency measures through the comprehensive mobilization of all logistical means as well as human resources, to provide support and assistance to citizens to face the cold wave experienced by a number of regions of the Kingdom.
In this regard, regional Walis and provincial Governors concerned have been urged to mobilize in order to ensure monitoring of the development of the situation, coordinate intervention operations, and take the necessary proactive and precautionary measures through a set of measures to ease the burden on the population.
