Morocco: Mohammed VI launches the national operation "Ramadan 1445"
On the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, King Mohammed VI launched, on Wednesday in Rabat, the national operation "Ramadan 1445", carried out by the Mohammed VI Foundation for Solidarity, which benefits nearly 5 million people.
This national operation is part of the humanitarian programme of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, which aims to help the most needy and promote the culture of solidarity.
To inaugurate "Ramadan 1445", the King symbolically handed over food baskets to 10 representatives of beneficiary families before taking a souvenir photo with the volunteers taking part in this solidarity operation.
Participants in Operation "Ramadan 1445"
The generous action "Ramadan 1445" is also financially supported by the Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs. Moreover, it has become an operational tradition for the past 25 years, each year enshrining the values of humanity, solidarity, mutual aid and sharing that characterise Moroccan society.
It should be noted that thousands of people have been mobilised to ensure the smooth running of this operation, accompanied by volunteers, at the 1,304 distribution points set up throughout the Alawi kingdom.
The initiative is managed by two committees, one local and one provincial, which oversee the supply of food to the distribution centres, the identification of beneficiaries and the distribution of food products, based on statistics and the socio-economic criteria of the local authorities.
The social services of the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Ministry of Agriculture, Maritime Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool Education and Sport, the National Inter-Aid, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water and local authorities are also supporting the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity to ensure the success of this solidarity operation.
For their part, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the National Food Safety Office (ONSSA) are responsible for monitoring the quality of the food products distributed.
Budgets and beneficiaries
With a budget of 347 million dirhams, the "Ramadan 1445" royal initiative, which will distribute 34,550 tonnes of foodstuffs (flour, milk, rice, oil, sugar, tomato concentrate, noodles, lentils and tea), aims to bring aid and comfort to the most vulnerable social categories, particularly widows, the elderly and the disabled.
Operation Ramadan is growing year by year to reach 1,000,000 beneficiary families by 2023 (473,900 in 2017 and 600,000 in 2020) belonging to 83 provinces and prefectures in the country, 74% of whom live in rural areas.
In its 25th edition organised this year in March 2024, it will also benefit 82,040 families in the three provinces of Al Haouz, Taroudant and Chichaoua, affected by the earthquake of 8 September 2023.
Since its launch in 1998, the national food support operation has mobilised an overall budget of more than 2 billion dirhams, and the number of beneficiary families has risen from 34,100 in 1998 to one million in 2023.
Operation Ramadan 1445 is one of several humanitarian actions and initiatives undertaken by King Mohammed VI to promote a culture of solidarity and ensure sustainable human development based on solidarity.