German Red Cross aid transport to Morocco scrapped at last minute

A German Red Cross aid donation to earthquake-hit Morocco that was planned for Thursday was cancelled at the last minute, reported dpa.

"For reasons beyond our control and that of our partners in the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, new rules and regulations have been announced at short notice which make it impossible for the plane to take off today," the German Red Cross said in a statement.

The Moroccan government is under increasing pressure to accept more international aid after agreeing to take assistance from only a small handful of countries like Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Almost 3,000 people are reported to have died in the earthquake that hit the North African country on Friday. The hope of finding survivors is now vanishingly small.

"It is important that in times like these, aid is provided solely according to the level of need and that humanitarian work is supported from all sides," the German Red Cross said.

The group was working as quickly as possible to overcome the red tape that had been put up, a spokeswoman for the group said.

A plane carrying a total of 36.6 tons of relief supplies - including more than 3,000 floor mats and 550 family-sized tents - was scheduled to take off from an airport near Leipzig on Thursday morning.

The United Nations Children's Fund says about 100,000 children have been affected by the disaster and thousands of houses in the country have been destroyed.

Many quake survivors in hard-hit villages in the hills of the Atlas Mountains have yet to see receive relief supplies - like food, medicine, baby products, bedding and makeshift shelters - and are still spending their nights sleeping outdoors.