Upon High Instructions from His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, His Royal Highness Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and Her Royal Highness Princess Lalla Khadija launched, on Monday in the Bouregreg district (Youssoufia) in Rabat, the national “Ramadan 1446” operation, initiated by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity on the occasion of the holy month of Ramadan, benefiting one million households, or nearly 5 million people.
Highly significant during this blessed month, this generous action, which has become a tradition over the 25 years of its existence, reflects the constant High Royal solicitude towards socially vulnerable populations, and enshrines the values of humanity, solidarity, mutual aid and sharing, which characterize Moroccan society.
With a budget of 330 million dirhams, the “Ramadan 1446” operation will distribute 34,280 tonnes of food products (flour, milk, rice, oil, sugar, tomato paste, vermicelli, lentils and tea), with the aim of bringing aid and comfort to the most vulnerable social categories, notably widows, the elderly and people with disabilities.
For this edition, 74% of beneficiary households live in rural areas and are distributed in 1,054 municipalities, out of a total of 1,304 targeted municipalities throughout the national territory.
Similarly, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, this year’s edition is distinguished by the use, for the first time, of the Unified Social Register, to update, by the Ministry of the Interior, the lists of households benefiting from the food support operation.
In fact, this national information system was set up by the Ministry of the Interior to allow social support programs to determine the eligibility of households according to objective socio-economic criteria.
Organized with the financial support of the Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, the national “Ramadan 1446” operation is fully in line with the humanitarian program conducted by the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity, and aims to provide support to those in need while promoting a culture of solidarity.
For the smooth running of this operation, thousands of people are mobilized, supported by social workers and volunteers, at the distribution points set up throughout the national territory.
The implementation of this initiative is also subject to controls, particularly at the level of two committees, one local and the other provincial, which monitor the supply of distribution centers and the distribution of foodstuffs.
The social services of the Royal Armed Forces, the Royal Gendarmerie, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Rural Development, and Water and Forests, the Ministry of National Education, Preschool and Sports, the National Mutual Aid, the National Promotion, the National Office of Railways, the National Transport and Logistics Company, the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water, and local authorities also support the Mohammed V Foundation for Solidarity in ensuring the smooth implementation of this solidarity operation.
The Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the National Office for Food Safety (ONSSA) ensure, for their part, the quality control of food products.
On this occasion, HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan and HRH Princess Lalla Khadija symbolically handed out food baskets to 20 heads or representatives of beneficiary households of the “Ramadan 1446” operation, before posing for a commemorative photo with volunteers participating in this solidarity initiative.
