Maria was working her shift as a midwife in a maternity health center when the most destructive earthquake in Morocco’s recent history struck on the night of September 8th.

"Trapped under the debris, I thought I was going to die," said Maria, who had previously received training in emergency health care response from UNFPA. "That night was difficult, but as soon as my colleagues helped me to get out of the rubble, we all managed to provide help and save lives."

Rescued from the rubble, Maria quickly put her skills to use to save the lives of others. Coordinating with local authorities to organize helicopter evacuations for almost all the pregnant women in the affected area, she made sure they received the urgent medical care they needed.

But there was an even more critical task to perform, as she realized two of the women had gone into labor. Amid total devastation, Maria used the medicine she managed to salvage from the wreck of the health center to assist both women to safely deliver their babies — one to healthy twins.

Maria had taken part in a UNFPA-supported initiative that has trained more than 500 midwives on emergency procedures for providing sexual and reproductive health in crisis situations over the past two years. Your support makes all the difference as UNFPA’s continued presence saves lives in Morocco.

Will you make a humanitarian gift to ensure safe childbirths, even amidst chaos and emergencies? Your gifts will continue to provide lifesaving training and deploy midwives in Morocco and around the world.

Current estimates are that almost 3,000 people have died and more than 5,600 others are injured. These figures are likely to be underestimates as search and rescue teams were unable to reach all precarious and inaccessible areas of the mountainous terrain.

More than 300,000 people in Marrakesh and its outskirts are estimated to have been affected — among them more than 1,500 pregnant women who are due to give birth in the next three months.

With hospitals and other medical facilities damaged or destroyed in villages hit by the disaster, the outlook for these women could easily turn life-threatening, especially if they face complications during pregnancy or childbirth.

Your gifts ensure that health workers like Maria have the knowledge and skills to assist women and girls during emergencies like this. UNFPA has advocated with decision makers to prioritize emergency preparedness and establish local and national networks of health care professionals who can ensure a swift and expert response during a humanitarian crisis.

Like in Morocco, we need to ensure emergency preparedness across the globe so that women and girls can receive the lifesaving care and health services they urgently need when disaster strikes. Will you add a humanitarian gift to fuel this work?

UNFPA remains dedicated to making sure the people of Morocco and local organizations receive the support they need to safeguard the reproductive health and well-being of women and girls. Thank you for supporting this work.

— USA for UNFPA