Mous Lamrabat, Hassan Hajjaj and more donate prints for earthquake relief in Morocco

On 8 September, Morocco was hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake, its biggest in 120 years. Aid has still not reached some areas in the Atlas Mountains, the epicentre of the earthquake. As of 12 September, the death toll has climbed to almost 3,000 people.

In response to the urgent need for aid, Moroccan GQ Middle East editor-at-large Samira Larouci, photographer Anass Ouaziz and designer Ismail Elaaddioui have set up Artists For Morocco, a collective of 26 photographers and artists raising funds for on-the-ground assistance. Among the artists involved in the print sale is Hassan Hajjaj, and photographers Yoriyas Alaoui Ismaili and Mous Lamrabat.

All proceeds from the sale will be split between two NGOs – the Amal Center, a Marrakesh women’s charity delivering food to earthquake victims, and Rif Tribes Foundation, focusing its aid in isolated areas of the Atlas Mountains.

“Supporting local on-the-ground NGOs is key,” says Samira. Anyone who buys a print from Artists For Morocco will see their funds go directly to these charities, “helping directly with the disaster”, the founder explains.

If you can’t donate, Samira urges readers to spread awareness. Audiences can share the print sale on social media and amplify the voices of those working in Morocco. “So many people love Morocco and Moroccan craftsmanship and hospitality, so it's important that people understand how significant of a loss this is for our country, and that this is likely to take years to recover from in many communities.”

The co-founder continues: “Many of these villages are home to our indigenous Amazigh community (I myself am Amazigh and from the mountains), and these remote villages have struggled with poverty and a lack of resources for healthcare, water etc., for decades, so the earthquake is not only painful because of the devastating loss of lives, but it's also erasing entire cultures off of the map.”

Artists For Morocco includes Meriem Bennani, Yto Barrada, Ilyes Griyeb, Hanane El Ouardani, Mounir Raji, Tabit Rida, Ismail Zaidy, Jinane Ennasri, Yassine Sellame, Mehdi El Mallali, Abdela Igmirien, Ismail Elaaddioui, Marouane Beslem, Mohamed Amine Houari, Ali El Madani, Salaheddine El Bouaaichi, Fatima Zohra Serri, Joseph Ouechen, Iman Zaoin, M'hammed Kilito, Seif Kousmate and Imane Djamil.

Readers can purchase prints from Artists For Morocco here; the deadline for placing orders is 30 September 2023.