Algeria, which two years ago severed its ties with Moroccoannounced today that it will open its airspace to humanitarian aid flights following the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco and killed more than 1,000 people.

The border between Algeria and Morocco — the most powerful countries in the region — has been closed since 1994. and Algiers closed its airspace to Morocco when the two countries severed diplomatic relations in 2021 accusing Rabat of “hostile actions”.

It has accused Morocco of using spyware against it, supporting a separatist group and failing to meet its bilateral commitments, which include the disputed territory of Western Sahara — accusations Morocco rejects as “absurd”.

Algeria was not among the first countries in North Africa and Europe to rush today to sympathize with Morocco, but its foreign ministry announced that it was “following with great sadness” the consequences of the earthquake.

Later, the Algerian presidency announced that the country would open its airspace for humanitarian flights.

The ministry announced that it is ready to respond to any request for assistance from Morocco.

During the deadly fires in Algeria over the previous three summers, Morocco had offered to help but Algeria had ignored its offer.

Despite poor relations between their governments, the two countries, which share a long border from the Mediterranean to the Sahara, share common historical and cultural ties, and many ordinary Algerian and Moroccan citizens are on good terms with each other.

Many Algerians expressed solidarity with Morocco on social media with some expressing the hope that bad political ties will not get in the way of helping the neighbor.

The earthquake that shook Morocco last night — the deadliest since 1960 — has so far killed more than 1,000 people and caused