Drought Crisis in Morocco Worsens

The unemployment rate in Morocco has risen to a record high due to drought for the sixth consecutive year, leading to diminished job opportunities for farmers in the rural areas of the kingdom. According to the High Commission for Planning, the unemployment rate increased from 12.9% in the first quarter of 2023 to 13.7% in the same quarter this year, due to the loss of approximately 159,000 job opportunities in the countryside compared to the creation of about 78,000 jobs in urban areas, where "the labor market continues to suffer from the effects of drought." Agricultural sector expert Abdel Rahim Hendouf pointed out that "the level of unemployment is linked to climate fluctuations, as the agricultural sector still employs nearly one-third of the active population even though its contribution to GDP does not exceed 11 to 14 percent during rainy years." Job opportunities for farmers have particularly diminished after the cultivated area decreased to only 2.5 million hectares, compared to four million in a normal season due to drought, according to the Ministry of Agriculture.