Morocco gets $1.3bn from IMF for climate and disaster fight

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has approved a $1.3bn (£1bn) loan to help Morocco improve its preparedness against natural disasters, three weeks after an earthquake killed nearly 3,000 people in the country.

Some Moroccans criticised the government for its handling of the 8 September earthquake in the High Atlas mountains, calling the response slow and disorganised.

On Thursday the IMF said the 18-month loan arrangement would help Morocco’s transition to a greener economy – by tackling “climate vulnerabilities”, “resilience against climate change”, and seizing “opportunities from decarbonisation”.