One year on from the devastating earthquake that hit Morocco, find out how SPANA is continuing to provide vital veterinary care and support to working animals living in the earthquake’s epicentre, like Soufiane the donkey.
Soufiane the donkey lives in Tizgui, a remote community in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, 74km south of Marrakech. Life in the community was turned upside down on 8 September 2023 when a devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit the region. Soufiane’s home was right at the epicentre, and destruction in Tizgui was severe. Homes were flattened, vehicles were damaged, and access roads were cut off.
Soufiane’s owner, Hamid, is a farmer. Soufiane transports the produce that Hamid grows so that Hamid can earn a small income to support his wife and two children. For the past year, Soufiane’s hard work has stopped Hamid, his family and their wider community from going hungry.
Since the earthquake, SPANA’s veterinary team in Morocco have made regular visits to Soufiane’s community to ensure that all the working animals there have access to the veterinary care they need.
Hamid brought Soufiane to SPANA’s mobile clinic when it made its most recent visit to Tizgui. Soufiane was suffering from a wound on his nose. Our vets examined Soufiane’s wound gently, then set about treating it. First, they administered anti-inflammatory medication to relieve any pain and to help the wound heal. Next, they administered a sedative and local anaesthetic, made sure the wound was thoroughly clean, then stitched the wound closed.
Our vets advised Hamid to ensure Soufiane was rested until his wound had healed, which should take about 10 days, and to bring him back to the clinic for a check-up.
Hamid said: ‘Thank you, SPANA, for treating my donkey. Without you, I would not know where to take Soufiane for treatment.’
Thanks to the incredible compassion of our supporters, our team in Morocco was able to act swiftly to help working animals affected by last September’s earthquake. From September to December 2023, your support enabled SPANA to treat 3,628 injured and sick animals and to distribute 62,500kg of emergency feed. While we are incredibly proud of what we have achieved so far, the recovery effort will take time. That’s why SPANA is committed to providing ongoing essential care and support to working animals affected by the disaster. Find out how you can help more working animals like Soufine today. Thank you so much for caring for Morocco’s working animals.
