MONTREAL — Hassaan Sheikh says as his team of humanitarian workers distribute blankets and mattresses in Moroccan villages devastated by last Friday’s earthquake, local residents tell him about bodies found under the rubble.

Mr. Sheikh, an aid worker with Vancouver-based Islamic Relief Canada, said the “utter destruction” caused by the 6.8-magnitude earthquake clearly shows the help the country needs to recover from the disaster.

Federal and provincial governments, charities and Canadians of Moroccan descent have been mobilizing since Friday to help this North African country, which reported more than 2,900 dead and several thousand injured on Tuesday after the earthquake south of Marrakesh.

According to the United Nations, around 300,000 Moroccans were affected by Friday’s earthquake.

On Wednesday, Canadian International Development Minister Ahmed Hussen announced that every donation from private individuals to the Canadian Red Cross for Morocco between September 8 and 28 will be matched by the government, up to $3 million .

These amounts will help the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement provide vital services in Morocco, “such as emergency food and nutrition assistance, emergency cash and vouchers, and water, sanitation and health services,” according to Global Affairs Canada. Additional federal aid of $2 million will be used to “meet the immediate needs of those affected by this crisis.”

Mr Cheikh explained that the most vulnerable villages were built right on the mountainside, with their houses made of terracotta and brick. In a village he visited on his second day in Morocco, 90 percent of the population was dead. “It was practically flattened,” he said. You know, when you see a landslide, this is what it looks like.”

Mr. Sheikh mentioned that in the short term, Moroccans primarily need food, blankets and hygiene products. In the longer term, they must rebuild their homes, roads and critical infrastructure.

And beyond material needs, many of the victims he met also sought psychological support, Mr. Sheikh recalls. “When we meet with them, before we even ask for food, tents or anything, emotions just pour out – and they don’t know what to do, what the next step is.”

As rescuers and humanitarian workers reach remote villages as quickly as possible, the international community – including Canada – is coming to Morocco’s aid.

The Quebec government has pledged $1.5 million for humanitarian workers in Morocco, while several major charities have launched fundraising campaigns. “Islamic Relief Canada raised about $40,000 in the first hour alone,” says Miranda Gallo, communications and government relations manager.

Couscous benefit

In Montreal, home to a large Moroccan community, citizens, mosques and businesses have launched popular initiatives to help. Ould Atigh, owner of the North African restaurant La Khaïma, hosted a “charity couscous” on Wednesday evening in an attempt to feel less powerless.

“It will give me a little feeling of having done something to help, because sometimes we are far away and can’t do anything,” said Mr Atigh, who lost friends in the earthquake.

Mohammed Jorio, a Montrealer of Moroccan descent, said he was chatting with his sister on WhatsApp last Friday when she told him the curtains and table were moving. Even after making sure she and her parents were safe in the capital Rabat, Mr Jorio confessed he had not slept all night, knowing full well the death toll would be devastating.

Shortly thereafter, he founded “SOS Morocco,” a WhatsApp group where his fellow Moroccans in Quebec can think about how they can help their home country. The group has now grown to 450 members. He said Tuesday evening that messages were coming in, particularly from mosques in Ottawa, wanting to do something to help.

“We have lived here longer than in our country, but our hearts are still tied to home,” he said of Quebec’s Moroccan community, estimated at more than 80,000 people. “And when we see 3,000 dead, 5,500 injured and several thousand homeless, we have to do something.”

After exchanging ideas, he mentioned that the group had decided to collect monetary donations to give to three humanitarian organizations. The group is raising money at a local community center, he said, and has designated people to accept referrals or cash donations.

Mr. Jorio, who describes himself as a “ordinary citizen” and is not affiliated with any organization, said he was overwhelmed by the response from his friends and colleagues who showed him their support or asked him where they could donate. “It’s the beauty of Montreal, the beauty of Quebec, the beauty of Canada,” he said. People come together to help.”

For his part, Mr. Sheikh said his group is working with other agencies to assess local needs, such as tents, medicine and food. But he said the organization is also starting to think about a longer-term rebuild.

“We don’t want to just give them food and everything they need right away and then leave,” he said.