In its preliminary conclusions on the management of the floods that affected several regions of Morocco during January and February 2026, the National Human Rights Council (CNDH) commended the designation of the four most affected provinces (Larache, Kenitra, Sidi Kacem, and Sidi Slimane) as “disaster areas.” The Council considered this designation an appropriate legal and institutional framework for addressing the humanitarian, social, and economic impacts of the disaster.

The CNDH noted in its preliminary conclusions that this decision enabled the mobilization of large-scale aid and support programs for affected populations. These programs included resettlement, compensation for lost income, rehabilitation of damaged homes and small businesses, reconstruction of collapsed houses, assistance for farmers and livestock breeders, and investments to restore road infrastructure and water management networks.

The Council noted that this framework facilitates a shift from a charitable approach to a rights-based approach, recognizing victims as rights holders entitled to protection and reparation.

The CNDH also emphasized in its recommendations the need to address the difficult circumstances of households and collapsed homes located outside the officially declared “disaster areas.” Furthermore, it stressed the need for enhanced reconstruction efforts, improved resilience, and the restoration of affected areas to a habitable state that upholds human dignity and promotes territorial justice.

It is worth noting that Morocco’s approach to managing the floods aligns with international standards for natural disaster management, particularly the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030).

In its monitoring and evaluation, the CNDH concluded that public authorities’ management of the floods in the four most affected provinces demonstrates clear and tangible progress in applying international standards and a human rights-based approach, both in designing diverse intervention operations and in leveraging the expertise and experience accumulated in previous disaster responses.

To be continued…

Link to the Preliminary Conclusions of the National Human Rights Council (Available in Arabic)