"Our presence here is first and foremost a duty to Morocco, a country that is an ally and friend of Spain," said Juan Saldaña Garcia, lieutenant-colonel at Spain's Military Emergency Unit (UME), whose rescue team arrived in Marrakech on Sunday to contribute to the efforts deployed by the Moroccan authorities following the earthquake that struck several regions of the Kingdom.
In a statement to MAP news agency, he explained that this assistance "responds to specific needs on the ground, formulated in advance by Morocco, and will be deployed in perfect coordination with the Moroccan authorities."
Search and rescue teams from the UK, Spain and Qatar are currently deployed alongside Moroccan rescue teams in the affected areas.
The offers of support and aid made by various friendly and brotherly countries are based on a precise assessment of needs on the ground by the Moroccan authorities.
Source: Agency Morocaine De Presse