This meeting, chaired by the Governor of the Chichaoua province, Bouabid El Guerrab, in the presence of, in particular, the heads of the relevant territorial collectivities, heads of external services, and other stakeholders, comes in execution of the High Royal Instructions of His Majesty King Mohammed VI aimed at taking proactive measures to ensure the safety of citizens, alleviate their suffering, and overcome the effects of the harsh cold wave due to snowfall and the sharp drop in temperatures witnessed by many regions of the Kingdom.
In a speech on the occasion, the Governor of the province highlighted the High Care that His Majesty King Mohammed VI continues to show to the population of the Chichaoua province, especially those located in mountainous areas.
In this context, he stressed the comprehensive mobilisation and full and permanent readiness of various services and authorities to provide support and assistance to citizens to face the potential damage that could be caused by snowfall and the drop in temperatures through mobilising all logistical means as well as human resources for the safety of citizens and their property and enabling them to overcome the effects of the cold wave.
Mr. El Guerrab emphasised the approach of proximity, listening, and proactive work within the framework of coordination between all stakeholders and relevant actors, noting that the plan to mitigate the effects of the cold wave for the 2024-2025 winter targets 73 Douars distributed over 11 territorial collectivities, affecting 7,500 families (approximately 35,000 people).
He mentioned that the Provincial Committee for Vigilance worked to raise the levels of readiness for intervention through a set of measures that include continuous monitoring and evaluation of the field situation and ensuring the normal supply of the concerned areas with necessary basic materials and various heating means, and mobilising the necessary machinery and positioning them near routes threatened with closure in order to break isolation.
He added that these measures also concern distributing food aid, blankets, and firewood to target groups within the concerned communes, ensuring immediate intervention to rescue citizens in critical and emergency situations such as pregnant women, as well as taking charge of sheltering affected people within safe reception units in order to protect them from the repercussions of the cold wave, providing them with necessary services such as food and medical care, ensuring the continuity of connecting the concerned areas to road and telephone networks, and ensuring the provision and distribution of fodder for livestock.
For his part, the Head of the Equipment Division at the General Secretariat of the Chichaoua Province, Ouraiss El Hachmi, highlighted in a statement to the press that the relevant services at the level of the Chichaoua province have put in place proactive measures to face the cold wave, noting that these measures include, in particular, breaking the isolation of affected areas, rehabilitating reception centres, and counting pregnant women and people suffering from chronic diseases, in addition to distributing improved stoves and firewood to educational institutions located in these areas.
