Morocco earthquake: Amsterdam and Rotterdam donate 1 euro per inhabitant
“This terrible disaster leaves a hole in the lives of so many people. Our thoughts are with those affected, their families, and all those in Morocco and the Netherlands who are still living in fear and uncertainty about the safety of their loved ones,” said Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and her counterpart Ahmed Aboutaleb from Rotterdam.
Amsterdam is donating €919,000, while Rotterdam is providing €665,000. Both cities flew the flag at half-mast as a sign of sympathy for the victims and their families.
Schiedam will also donate one euro per inhabitant to the relief efforts in Morocco. This adds up to a total of 81,186 euros for the municipality. “We sympathize with the many people affected by the consequences of the devastating earthquake in Morocco. Our thoughts are also with all our fellow citizens who are in uncertainty about the fate of their families and friends in the affected area,” said Mayor Jules Bijl. The Stadserf in the city center will be lit in red, the color of the Moroccan flag, on Saturday and Sunday.
In February, Amsterdam and Rotterdam were the first municipalities to donate one euro per inhabitant following the earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The following month, more than 160 municipalities joined this initiative. This raised more than 11 million euros.
The Red Cross has also received many donations. So far, 636,619 euros have been received through the giro 6868 of the Red Cross. The aid organization opened the account number on Saturday to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.
