On September 8, Morocco’s rural regions at the foot of the Atlas Mountains were hit by a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. Early news reports estimate 2,400 people died. 

Instantaneously Canadian charities launch fundraising appeals despite Morocco’s King Mohammed VI not asking for help. He has accepted emergency response teams from Britain and Spain and aid from Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. The King has gratefully declined offers of aid from France and the US and has not given the go ahead for other charities to respond.  

On the other extreme, Ukraine desperately needs help and is asking all for any support. Red Cross’ around the world raised a massive total of C$2.66 billion, of which $111 million has gone to Ukrainian Red Cross (April, 2023). This is only 5.5% of all donations. To learn more, read Charity Intelligence's May 2023 update: How the Red Cross is spending money in Ukraine. 

Aid coordination is important during major disasters to ensure rescue workers do not impede each other. The rush of international aid and multiple charities itself can cause issues. The lessons learnt from other aid responses clearly point to the need for national leadership and co-ordination. 

MSF teams are on the ground in Morocco and doing a needs assessment to help Morocco if needed. International Federation of Red Cross, the partner organization of Canadian Red Cross, is on standby and ready to go into Morocco. 

While we wait to see if Canadian charities are called upon, we can reflect on the disaster response to the Türkiye earthquake in February 2023. This earthquake was more fatal, killing 59,260 people, of which 86% of the deaths were in Türkiye.  

For the Türkiye earthquake in February 2023, Charity Intelligence recommended MSF Doctors Without Borders and Islamic Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF) see Charity Intelligence’s February 2023 report.

Our research shows that MSF/Doctors Without Borders excels at the timeliness of its reports and the details on its relief work. 

Yet, for the most part, the accountability of disaster response spending is not adequate. Charities that are quick to raise money must report back. There are three basic questions charities should report - how much money was raised, how much money was spent, and what did the charity spend the money on?

Looking back – five charities’ track records in disaster response to Türkiye  

MSF / Doctors Without Borders Canada 

How much money raised?

No information found. 

How much money spent?

No information found. 

What did the charity spend the money on?  

This is for MSF International’s response, not MSF Canada alone.  

In Northwest Syria:  

Within the first hours of the first earthquake, MSF teams already working in northwest Syria treated over 200 patients in Idlib. In the first days MSF cared for 3,465 injured people in health facilities in Aleppo and Idlib governorates and provided emergency medical items to over 23 facilities in northern Idlib.  The charity distributed 110,835 relief items, conducted 198,477 consultations in hospitals and medical clinics, and conducted 8,026 mental health consultations. 

MSF was not in Türkiye prior to the earthquake. Its work in Türkiye was support to local partners. MSF supported 36 hospitals Türkiye. These local partners distributed 38,154 hygiene kits, provided 2.6 million litres of water, served 390,500 meals and more than 53.1 tons of firewood. 

MSF-supported teams were among the first to offer psychological support to families of the victims, the first response volunteers, and search and rescue teams. During the emergency phase of the response, MSF-supported NGO staff delivered 4.3 million liters of water, 96.6 tons of fruits and vegetables, 38,841 hygiene kits, provided and installed 173 showers, 350 toilets, donated 65 containers and 375 tents, while 10,133 people received psychosocial support. MSF donated one x-ray machine to a hospital in Kahramanmaraş in Türkiye, and water pump and tanks to the Hatay Training and Research Hospital, in Northern Syria.  

Sources:  

Update August 29, 2023 How MSF is responding Syria-Turkiye earthquake 

Update May 31, 2023 Turkiye: MSF starts handing over its emergency interventions 

Canadian Red Cross 

How much money raised?

$44.5 million from donors, corporations and governments including $10m matching donation from Government of Canada.  

How much money spent?

Over $29 million contributed (65% of money raised) as of May 11, 2023.  

What did the charity spend the money on?

Canadian Red Cross Provided funds to Türkiye Red Crescent and Syria Red Crescent. It shipped 22,000 relief items which include family tents, tarps, kitchen sets, hygiene kits. The charity also deployed 13 humanitarian experts in areas such as operations management, healthcare, public health, psychosocial support, shelter and protection, gender and inclusion, and funded winterized tents, medications, cholera kits, cash assistance, and other. 

Source: Donor Update Earthquake in Turkiye and Syria Appeal, May 2023 

IDRF Islamic Development and Relief Foundation 

How much money raised?

No information found.  

How much money spent?

No information found.  

What did the charity spend the money on? 

No information found. No updates found since disaster appeal. 

Global Medic 

How much money raised?

No information found.  

How much money spent?

No information found.  

What did the charity spend the money on?

Global Medic Shipped 9,440 emergency food kits and 4,320 family emergency kits to its Syrian partners. Family emergency kits include ceramic water filtration, soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, and solar light. The charity purchased 4,252 food hampers, 6,850 hygiene kits, 8,600+ additional hygiene items, and 14,500 pieces of underwear. Global Medic delivered nine AquaResponse3 water purification systems and one AquaReponse10 water purification system. It also procured 35 locally made systems with the same specifications. These systems are primarily used in World Central Kitchen sites and medical clinics.  

Source: Earthquake Response 2023 

Islamic Relief Canada 

How much money raised?

No information found.  

How much money spent?

No information found.  

What did the charity spend the money on? 

This is for Islamic Relief Worldwide’s response, not Islamic Relief Canada’s alone 

Islamic Relief Worldwise reached 774,326 people in Syria (73,179 households) and 111,860 people in Türkiye (27,532 households). 886,186 total 

In Syria:

Water: 2,141 m3 water through water trucking and tanks- (2,131,000 litres) 

Food: 131,789 bread packs 

Medical: 408,431 medical items 

Shelter: 129 tents 

Other: 5,279 mattresses, 16 packs for the elderly, 597 packs for babies and children, 305 fireplaces, and 469,230 kg of heating material 

In Türkiye:

Food: 7,390 food vouchers, 5,304 food packs which include rice, sugar, olive oil and tomato paste, and 290,896 food items such as bread, cakes and drinks 

Hygiene: 4,750 hygiene kits which include soap, towels, toothbrush and more 

Other: 4,050 blankets 

Sources: 

Islamic Relief Canada webpage Turkey Syria Emergency Appeal: Donate to Turkey and Syria 

Islamic Relief Worldwide webpage Turkiye-Syria Earthquake Appeal