A large segment of Moroccan youth found themselves without the income they had grown accustomed to every Eid al-Adha, after the cancellation of the annual sacrifice this year eliminated seasonal occupations associated with the occasion.
Abdel Wahid Al-Zayat, head of the Moroccan Network for the Civil Youth Alliance, emphasized that "the absence of slaughter this year clearly impacts a segment of youth who used to rely on roasting sacrificial animals, transporting rams, and selling fodder in working-class neighborhoods." He noted that these professions were a seasonal source of income for many of them.
Al-Zayat called for government and local intervention through "innovative employment programs and policies" that provide young people with sustainable income opportunities, rather than relying on temporary seasonal work. He also called for "training solutions" targeting the "NET" group to integrate them into the labor market and transform them into a productive force.
For his part, Mohamed Al-Deish, head of the Civil Coalition for the Mountain, warned of the repercussions of the decision to cancel the slaughtering program for young people on the outskirts of cities, saying, "Despite its legitimacy, the decision deprives a significant segment of them of seasonal incomes that used to mitigate unemployment."
Al-Daish stressed the need for innovative employment policies, with a focus on vocational training for the "NET" category, as well as preserving traditional professions threatened with extinction, such as knife sharpening, through training programs that attract young people and ensure their continuity.
Earlier, several Moroccan cities witnessed strict measures by authorities regarding sacrificial animals, with security forces raiding residents' homes to confiscate sheep following a decision by King Mohammed VI to this effect.
