In response to a central question in the House of Advisors on "preventive measures to cope with the cold wave and snowfall in rural and mountainous areas," Laftit recalled the meeting held last November 17 by the National Commission, which includes the various ministries and sectors concerned, the Command and Vigilance Center at the Ministry of Interior and the provincial committees of vigilance, monitoring and evaluation, in order to establish the modalities of implementation of this National Plan.

To target accurately and effectively the populations threatened by the effects of the cold wave, he explained, the areas concerned have been classified, based on a set of objective criteria, including the possible duration of isolation, in 3 main levels.

It is, he said, the Red level which concerns the douars at risk of isolation for a period of more than 7 days, or 654 douars with an estimated population of about 250,000 people, the Orange level which concerns the douars at risk of isolation for a period of between 4 and 7 days, which are 845 for an estimated population of about 330. 000 people and the Yellow level, which concerns douars at risk of isolation for a period of two to three days, numbering 298 and a total population of nearly 220,000 people.

The Minister stressed, in this regard, that the intervention approach adopted for the management of the cold wave is articulated globally, as in previous years, on seven axes of a social nature which consist mainly in providing health services through the establishment of field hospitals that fall under the Royal Armed Forces (FAR), on the instructions of HM the King, Supreme Commander and Chief of General Staff of FAR.

This also includes the establishment of mobile hospitals under the Ministry of Health, the organization this year of mini-medical campaigns due to the epidemic situation, as well as field visits by mobile medical units in the various provinces identified, in addition to monitoring the situation of pregnant women and the elderly suffering from isolation or chronic diseases.

These aspects also include the distribution of food aid and blankets, with the supervision of the contribution of civil society in these areas, providing shelter and relief services, the care of people in street situations and the development of platforms for the landing of helicopters of the Royal Gendarmerie, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, mobilized to provide support to the emergency medical intervention teams.

They also include the distribution of firewood and ovens to the affected population, educational institutions, health centers and maternity hospitals located in the targeted areas, the provision and distribution of subsidized fodder for livestock, under the program of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development and Water and Forests, the opening of roads and the opening up of rural areas, among other measures.

On the ground, added Laftit, the ministry's services have taken several proactive measures, including the operationalization of the Command Center and vigilance at the Ministry of the Interior to monitor developments in the situation, to coordinate intervention operations if necessary, as well as provincial committees of vigilance, monitoring and evaluation of the situation on the ground.

These measures have also included the identification of 4,957 pregnant women at the douars concerned, including 308 who will soon give birth and have been taken care of in health centers and maternity hospitals.

In addition, 804 drivers were exceptionally mobilized to ensure rapid intervention to open up areas at risk, in addition to connecting these villages to the telephone network at a rate of 88% and the rest by satellite, he said, adding that the number of areas affected by the electricity network reached 89.6%, in addition to the organization of medical caravans in 13 provinces affected by the National Plan to mitigate the effects of the cold wave.

In this context, Laftit referred to the qualitative intervention of the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity and its crucial role in addressing these challenges through its various humanitarian intervention programs aimed at providing support and assistance to needy families living in the rural world, especially in mountainous zones.