GOTG waiting for go-ahead to assist quake-hit Morocco
The Gift of the Givers says it's still waiting for the green light from Morocco to deliver aid and assistance to the quake-hit nation.
If it doesn't get the go-ahead, the KwaZulu-Natal-based humanitarian group says it will stand down.
Friday's earthquake struck Marrakech and the regions to its south, killing more than 2900 people.
Morocco has so far been managing the crisis internally, accepting international help only from a handful of countries.
Gift of the Givers Director Imtiaz Sooliman says a team of 33 personnel and five sniffer dogs are on standby.
He says teams from the Cape Peninsula University of Technology and Gauteng Emergency Medical Service have been packing the equipment needed during rescue missions.
"Customs with South African Revenue Services has been used to clear the equipment rapidly. The flights are booked, our embassy, our government, ourselves.
“We have been talking to sectors within the Moroccan government, but we made it clear we are not here to impose ourselves on them. If they require assistance, we have the support, the skill, and the expertise to come.
We have been involved in eight earthquakes previously. SAPS is a part of us and has five dog handlers and five dogs approved by the deputy national commissioner,” said Sooliman.
