Power Outages Plague Al Hoceima Villages Ahead of Eid al-Adha

Residents in several villages within Morocco's Al Hoceima province are facing persistent power outages just days before the Eid al-Adha holiday. This recurring disruption is causing significant anxiety, particularly concerning the preservation of sacrificial meat, which requires refrigeration during the hot weather.

The power cuts are affecting the rural communes of Temsaout and Ghaïat Al Souahel. Local sources attribute the problem to the inadequate capacity of the existing electrical generators, which are struggling to meet the growing demand for electricity in these areas. Despite residents fulfilling their monthly bill payments, the service remains unreliable.

Sources indicate that the regional company responsible for managing the electricity sector has acknowledged the complaints. The company attributes the outages to illegal electricity theft by farmers and cannabis cultivators who are drawing excessive power for irrigation, especially during the current high temperatures. This increased load on the generators leads to the frequent blackouts experienced by the villages. Residents are urging the company to intervene urgently to resolve the issue, highlighting the critical timing with the Eid al-Adha celebrations and the upcoming student examinations.