ADVERTISEMENTIn Morocco, fresh flooding sparked by heavy rain has left around 36 people dead.
All services of the armed forces have been deployed to help evacuate some 20,000 families from the affected regions between Ouarzazate and Guelim.
Authorities say rising river levels have left thousands without power. The remote mountainous areas are particularly hard for rescuers to gain access with many roads submerged.
Flooding, which is quite common in the mostly arid desert region at this time of the year, has in the past sparked violent protests by people angered by what they see as a tardy or ineffective official response.
Morocco’s King Mohamed has offered to pay the funeral costs of the victims but many locals say money would be better spent improving preventative measures.