The deadliest earthquake to strike Morocco in more than 60 years has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people with a major search and rescue effort underway and a death toll that is expected to rise.

Survivors are struggling to access food and water, according to Caroline Holt, Director of Disaster, Climate and Crises at the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. 

The brunt of the 6.8 magnitude tremor hit the Atlas mountains - a rugged and hard to access mountain range where settlements are often remote. 

"We're seeing people who really need support with some very basic needs at the minute, with some food, with some shelter, with some safe and clean water," Holt told CGTN.

"But we're also hearing of a lot of people trapped under rubble. We're hearing of a lot of people that have also survived and are very scared, living in fear. And we're making sure that those people are actually moved to a safe space so that they aren't necessarily in harm's way." 

"There will continue to be aftershocks after an event like this. And those buildings that might have survived the initial impact might not survive any further aftershocks." 

Many countries have offered to assist with relief efforts, including Spain, France and Türkiye, which saw more than 50,000 die in a February earthquake.

"There's a lot of people requiring immediate first aid. Those that are most severe are being transferred to hospitals. But of course, don't forget, the health infrastructure will also have been impacted by a disaster of this size," Holt adds.

More than 2,000 people have been injured, including 1,400 in critical condition. The World Health Organization says more than 300,000 people have been affected by the disaster, which wreaked havoc all the way from Marrakech to Casablanca. Many roads are blocked or inaccessible due to debris and damage.

Holt spoke to CGTN in an exclusive interview. She said the main priority at this stage is the search for survivors. "The absolute critical nature at the minute is also to reach those people that are still alive, unfortunately, under the rubble. That window really only lasts for two or three days. And we need to make sure that we're prioritizing that." 

The North African country has declared three days of mourning and King Mohammed VI called for prayers for the dead to be held at mosques across the country on Sunday.

"I think we will see over the coming days the real true extent of this particular disaster. But I don't think we've got anywhere near understanding the size of it at this point in time," Holt says.

Many residents chose to shelter on the streets and some even took to sleeping at nearby airports for fear of aftershocks.

"The psychosocial and the mental health impacts of a disaster such as this, especially when you continue to feel the aftershocks, which take you back to that original event, (mean it) is really critical that we have support teams on the ground and we are able to assist people not only with the food, water and shelter that we mentioned, but also with their mental health needs and making sure people don't have to continue to relive this trauma."

The last earthquake to hit Morocco was in 1960 and claimed the lives of around 12,000 people, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

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