Blinken offers his Moroccan counterpart support for the humanitarian response after the earthquake

MADRID, 11 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) -

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has offered his Moroccan counterpart, Naser Burita, support to organize the humanitarian response following the earthquake in the Atlas Mountains region of Morocco, which has claimed more than 2,100 lives.

Blinken and Burita have "committed to remaining in close contact" as search and rescue efforts continue, the Secretary of State's spokesman, Matthew Miller, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the secretary has conveyed to the Moroccan Foreign Minister and "the people of Morocco" his "deep sadness and condolences" for the loss of life and destruction caused by the earthquake, which took place on Friday.

According to the provisional balance of the Ministry of the Interior, the death toll includes 2,122 dead and 2,421 injured. The king, Mohammed VI, has expressed his "most sincere gratitude" to the "friends and fraternal countries that have expressed their solidarity with the Moroccan people, many of whom have confirmed their willingness to provide help in this exceptional circumstance."

Rabat has only accepted help from Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, justifying its decision in the "precise assessment" made of the needs after the landslide and "taking into account that the lack of coordination in such situations could be counterproductive." ".

In any case, the Moroccan Government does not rule out asking for help from other countries if necessary: ​​"With the progress of intervention operations, the evaluation of possible needs could evolve, which would allow taking advantage of the support offers presented by other countries. friends, according to the specific needs of each stage".