USA contributes to drought-effects alleviation in southwestern Morocco

The USA will be undertaking a series of activities to alleviate effects of a second drought season on populations of the Moroccan southwestern region.

US ambassador in Morocco, Edward Gabriel, oversaw on Friday the signing of several agreements to this end.

The US Agency for International Development will contribute $ 25,000 and the Catholic Relief Services will bring $ 11,165 to the purchase of water tanks and jerrycans for the storage, channeling and supply of drinking water. The initiative will benefit 12 rural communities of 250 to 5,000 residents each.

The USAID will also allocate $ 500,000 to "Zakoura," a micro-credit association, to help it extend its activities to 50 villages and 4,000 micro-entrepreneurs.

The US ambassador also signed with the justice ministry an agreement to back the second part of a justice-reform program. The second part of the program worth $ 4.45 million, extending over 5 years, targets judge and staff training, the supply of information technologies and the rationalization of financial procedures.