Nearly three years after the devastating September 2023 earthquake, Morocco’s Al Haouz province remains a focal point of national politics. On Monday, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch, who also leads the National Rally of Independents (RNI), launched a two-day field tour across the province, blending reconstruction oversight with unmistakable campaign-season visibility ahead of Morocco’s next legislative elections.
The itinerary opened in Imlil, where Akhannouch inaugurated a new local RNI party office, before moving on to public meetings with residents in Amizmiz and Tamesloht. Aides described the trip as part of a broader « proximity » strategy meant to keep channels open between the government and communities still living with the aftermath of the quake that killed thousands and displaced tens of thousands across the High Atlas.
During his stop in Imlil, the prime minister laid out figures meant to demonstrate the pace of reconstruction. More than 50,000 homes, he said, have already been rebuilt or rehabilitated since the disaster, while over 60,000 affected families received a monthly emergency stipend for more than a year while awaiting the restoration of permanent housing. Those numbers, frequently cited by government officials, remain a central benchmark by which residents judge the state’s post-earthquake performance.
Akhannouch also addressed the state of public services in the province. Damaged schools are expected to complete repairs by the end of this year, allowing students to return to improved facilities, while nearby hospitals are undergoing parallel upgrades. He framed these efforts as part of a wider push by government ministries to accompany the province’s population through several coordinated programs rather than a single reconstruction track.
On the social front, the prime minister pointed to Morocco’s direct social support program, describing it as a pillar of the country’s social protection system for vulnerable Al Haouz households. More than 97,000 families, roughly 300,000 people, currently receive the benefit, a scale he presented as evidence of the state’s commitment to the province’s human and territorial development beyond bricks and mortar.
The tour continues Tuesday with visits to three more communes, part of what RNI officials describe as a listening exercise rather than a purely administrative visit. Yet the timing, arriving as political parties position themselves ahead of upcoming elections, has not gone unnoticed. For many in Al Haouz, the real test will not be in speeches delivered at party offices but in whether reconstruction pledges keep pace with the calendar officials continue to set.
