HIBAPRESS – MAP
King Mohammed VI, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, launched on Saturday in the Hay Al Inbaat neighborhood of Salé, the national operation "Ramadan 1447", organized by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity on the occasion of the blessed month of Ramadan, benefiting 4,362,732 people.
This solidarity initiative, with a strong symbolism during this holy month, which has become a tradition over the years, embodies the high and continuous royal care for people in situations of social vulnerability, and comes to consolidate the values of humanity, solidarity, mutual support and sharing that characterize Moroccan society. This solidarity operation, in its 28th edition, which has a financial envelope of 305 million dirhams, involves the distribution of 34,550 tons of food (flour, milk, rice, oil, sugar, tomato paste, pasta, lentils and tea), with the aim of providing assistance and support to the most vulnerable social groups, especially widows, the elderly and people with special needs. In implementation of the High Royal Instructions, and for the second year in a row, this initiative relies on the Unified Social Register to identify eligible families in a situation of vulnerability, by ensuring respect for the distribution of food support rations at the level of the 1,304 concerned municipalities. The updating of the lists, based on the socio-economic indicators of the register, which was carried out in coordination with the services of the Ministry of the Interior, has made it possible to establish a unified reference framework and identify the beneficiaries accurately, which enhances the transparency and effectiveness of the procedures. The data of the Unified Social Register indicates that 74% of the beneficiary families live in the rural world. Of the one million heads of households counted, there are 432,092 elderly people, 211,381 widows, and 88,163 people with disabilities (i.e. 731,636 people). The national operation "Ramadan 1447", organized with financial support from the Ministry of the Interior (General Directorate of Local Authorities), and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, is in perfect harmony with the humanitarian program implemented by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, which aims to provide support to those who need it most while promoting a culture of solidarity. In order to ensure the smooth running of this operation, thousands of people have been mobilized, supported by social workers and volunteers at the distribution points approved at the national level, where they will oversee the delivery of food aid to the heads and representatives of the beneficiary families. The implementation of this initiative is also subject to monitoring, particularly at the level of two committees, one regional and the other local, which monitor in the field the supply of distribution centers, the identification of beneficiaries and the distribution of food. The social services of the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, National Cooperation, National Promotion, the National Office of Railways, the National Company of Transport and Logistics, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, and the local authorities, also provide assistance to the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity in order to ensure the smooth running of this solidarity operation. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the National Office of Food Safety also monitor the quality of the food distributed. On this occasion, the King, accompanied by Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, symbolically handed over food baskets to 10 heads or representatives of families benefiting from the "Ramadan 1447" operation, before taking a souvenir photo with volunteers participating in this solidarity operation. Since its launch in 1998, the national food support operation has mobilized a total financial envelope exceeding 2.5 billion dirhams, with the number of beneficiary families increasing from 34,100 in 1998 to one million families as of 2023. Thus, the "Ramadan 1447" operation comes to add to the various humanitarian efforts and initiatives overseen by His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in an effort to promote a culture of solidarity, strengthen the cohesion of Moroccan society and ensure comprehensive and sustainable human development.
