A medical caravan from Marrakech stayed until 22 April in the Malian city of Timbuktu, at the initiative of the Association of Professors of the Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy of the ochre city, the Mohammed VI University Hospital Centre (CHU) of Marrakech and the Club of Friends of Timbuktu (CAT). This one-week humanitarian action is part of the wake of both the consolidation of relations of friendship and fraternity between the two countries, the solidarity actions undertaken by Morocco for the benefit of the brotherly Malian people and the firm commitment of the Kingdom in favour of South-South cooperation.

During its stay in Timbuktu, a city twinned with Marrakech, the medical staff composed of about twenty specialists (surgery, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, cardiology, endocrinology, paediatrics, traumatology, urology and general medicine) provided consultations and performed surgical interventions. Some 2,000 patients, particularly the elderly and children, benefited from the services of this humanitarian and solidarity operation punctuated by prevention campaigns and awareness workshops on health practices. The Caravan was also used for the distribution of medicines and the examination of cooperation prospects between the Mohammed VI University Hospital of Marrakech and the Timbuktu hospital, insofar as the health sector is one of the pillars of South-South cooperation.

This solidarity action comes two months after the State visit of H.M. King Mohammed VI to Mali during which 17 agreements and conventions were signed between the two countries, including an agreement in the field of health. It also comes after the installation, on High Royal Instructions, of a military field hospital in Bamako which had provided more than 52,600 medical services in different specialities until the end of its humanitarian mission at the end of December after more than three months of commendable services accomplished with professionalism, dedication and a high sense of responsibility. This caravan also reinforces Morocco's place as an African leader in South-South cooperation and the strong ties between Marrakech and Timbuktu, two cities linked by history through cultural and commercial exchanges dating back to the 14th century. Marrakech-Timbuktu was a secular route that millions of caravans had taken since the dawn of time. Classified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, Timbuktu is a mythical city with multiple names: "the Mysterious", "the City of 333 Saints" and "the Gateway to the Sahara".