After years of extreme drought, flash floods and overflowing rivers across the Maghreb are triggering unprecedented protective measures – the army and civil defense are coordinating the rescue of tens of thousands.
Rabat – At the beginning of February 2026, the hydrological situation in northern Morocco worsened drastically. After a long dry period, intense rainfall led to a massive rise in water levels, particularly on the Sebou and Loukkos. To protect the civilian population from the unpredictable water masses, the Moroccan Interior Ministry and local authorities have initiated a large-scale preventive evacuation.
Systematic evacuations to protect over 143,000 citizens
According to official data as of February 5, 2026, a total of 143,164 people in the affected provinces were relocated as a precautionary measure. The focus of the measures is in the province of Larache, where the largest mobilization took place with 110,941 evacuees. This is followed by the provinces of Kenitra (16,914 people), Sidi Kacem (11,696 people) and Sidi Slimane (3,613 people).
These operations follow a phased plan that assesses the specific vulnerability of each community. The logistical coordination is based on the close cooperation between civil defense, national security (DGSN) and the local relief troops. On the orders of King Mohammed VI. Units of the Royal Armed Forces (FAR) are also supporting the rescue efforts with special equipment in order to reach isolated regions in the Gharb Basin.
Regional context: A transboundary climate crisis in the Maghreb
However, meteorological instability is not a purely Moroccan phenomenon. The entire Maghreb is currently facing the effects of an “atmospheric river” that is carrying moist air masses far into northern Africa. While Morocco is massively evacuating, the neighboring states of Algeria and Tunisia are already struggling with the consequences of flash floods, some of which are fatal.
At the end of January, Tunisia recorded the heaviest rainfall since the 1950s. According to reports from the Tunisian civil protection authority, at least five people were killed. The coastal regions around Nabeul and the capital Tunis in particular reported severe damage to the infrastructure. In Algeria, flash floods also claimed lives in the provinces of Chlef and Médéa. In addition to the masses of water, heavy snowfalls in the highlands hindered supplies to remote villages.
Recovery of water reserves as an economic bright spot
Despite the humanitarian challenges, the rainfall brings significant relief to the regional water management. Morocco government spokesman Mustapha Baitas announced that the nationwide dam filling level rose from 31% in December to 55.25% at the end of January 2026. With a reserve volume of 9.26 billion cubic meters, a level not seen since 2019 was reached.
However, experts such as Omar Baddour from the WMO urge caution: the abrupt change from extreme drought to torrential rain overwhelms the often crusted soils and the existing sewage system. The current crisis across the Maghreb therefore underlines the need to adapt national disaster preparedness and infrastructure to increasingly unpredictable climate patterns in the long term.
Morocco – Army supports population after severe storms
Source:
maghreb-post.de