When is it OK to return to a country following a disaster?

The recent earthquake in Morocco has shattered villages and taken thousands of lives. It might seem almost ghoulish to want to go back to an area devastated by a natural disaster, yet that is actually what Morocco is asking for.

The priority has been rescuing the afflicted, taking care of the living and providing food, shelter and comfort, and that’s where the aid money goes. It doesn’t put cash back in the pockets of ordinary people, yet cash is what’s needed to help a population recover and rebuild their lives.

That’s where tourism comes into the picture. The money that tourists are spending in Morocco right now finds its way into the hands of carpet makers, drivers, waiters, farmers, leatherworkers, builders and woodcarvers.

The crucial question is determining when it’s okay to return. “OK” means you won’t be in the way of rescue and rebuilding efforts or diverting resources from people who need food, shelter and the other basics of life.

Sifting through the information to help you make that decision is not easy. While the media focuses on the sensational aspects of the tragedy, the tourism industry is keen to reassure the world it’s business as usual.

On first impression it might seem all of Morocco has been impacted by the earthquake but the major damage has occurred in remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains, an area few tourists will ever see.

In Marrakesh, the closest city to the earthquake’s epicentre, some buildings have collapsed in older parts of the city but the souks, the gardens, the palaces, the cafes and the great square of Djemaa el Fna are largely unaffected.

Therefore I’m going ahead with this month’s Morocco trip planned long ago. I’ve called the hotels where we’ll be staying, monitored social media reports from travellers on the ground and contacted a friend who lives in Marrakesh.

Packing my bags and taking a holiday in Morocco is not a magic wand but the idea that a new Berber carpet, a meal at the Grand Cafe de la Poste and a couple of nights under the stars among the dunes of the Sahara will help put Morocco back on its feet is deeply appealing.