King Mohammed VI has thanked Spain , Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates for sending aid following the earthquake that struck Morocco, state-run broadcaster Al Aoula said Sunday.
"On these basis, the Moroccan authorities responded, at this particular stage, to the offers of support made by friendly countries Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, which suggested mobilizing a group of search and rescue teams," he continued. "Moreover, with the progress of interventions, the assessment of potential needs may develop, which may lead to going back to offers of support from other friendly countries, according to the needs of each stage separately."
While Spain said Sunday that Morocco had officially requested its aid — and that a plane of 56 Spanish rescue personnel had since arrived to help — it was not initially clear how many of the other international aid offers the Moroccan government has accepted.
The UN said on Friday that it had offered assistance on search and rescue, humanitarian and medical needs, but an official said at the time that Morocco was "deploying its own answer to the earthquake."
The king's statement now provides a clearer picture of the aid that has entered the country, according to the Moroccan government.
Rescuers in Morocco struggled for a second day Sunday to locate survivors from the powerful earthquake that has killed more than 2,100 people and left remote villages near the epicenter in ruins.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck late on Friday . It was the strongest to hit the region around the ancient city of Marrakech in a century, according to the US Geological Survey.
In an update Sunday afternoon, officials said the death toll had risen to at least 2,122 people, with 2,421 more injured — including many in critical condition. The toll is expected to rise further as rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed houses in remote areas of the High Atlas mountains.
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