Destruction and Relocation in Casablanca
The Casablanca-Settat region has embarked on a large-scale urban redevelopment initiative aimed at creating a grand avenue that will stretch from the city center to the iconic Hassan II Mosque. This ambitious project has led to the complete demolition of numerous popular neighborhoods, raising significant concerns among the affected residents. The challenges of relocation and compensation are proving to be painful, as many residents find themselves homeless and feeling cheated, despite the establishment of an organization in 2006 tasked with documenting the residents of the affected areas.
As reported by rfi.fr.
The Human Impact of Urban Development
In the heart of Casablanca, plumes of smoke rise from a sea of debris following the destruction of the Moha ou Saïd neighborhood. Salvagers are already at work, scouring the ruins for usable materials, while others care for a number of cats rescued from the rubble. As night falls, residents like 63-year-old Youssef gaze anxiously at the devastated landscape, questioning their future. "And now, they are going to destroy my house. Where will I go? I have nowhere to go. When I spoke to the caïd, he said my deceased mother was not in the system," he lamented.
The caïd, or neighborhood chief, recently visited the residents to inform them of the impending destruction, which has been long anticipated. Relocation efforts are currently underway, being conducted via a lottery system. However, some residents, like Nazil, a 56-year-old father of four, were not registered as beneficiaries of the relocation program and are left to dismantle their small businesses before imminent destruction. "We have lived in this neighborhood. Our parents have lived here since 1932. My children were educated here. I have all the paperwork proving my residence, but when you explain this to them, they say you are not in the system," he expressed with frustration.
Ultimately, around 15,000 homes and businesses are slated for destruction. The demolition process, which began on April 20, is expected to continue for several days with bulldozers actively tearing down structures.
