Hello, welcome to verified live, three hours of breaking stories, and checking out the truth behind them. Rescue teams in morocco are battling to reach people still trapped Underneath Rubble following the earthquake which struck the country on friday night. Nearly two and a half thousand people are now known to have died, but many remote areas remain hard to reach and cut off to rescuers. Four countries the uk, spain, qatar and the uae are now sending aid. The epicentre was to the south of marrakesh, along the high atlas mountain range. The struggle to get through roads blocked by boulders has led some villagers to dig by hand. Tom bateman reports. Dawn lights up the destruction in this village. Morocco� s most remote hillside have become encampments for the survivors. This lady has lost contact with her son who fled the village to get help. She was already grieving, her husband had been sick and died before the earthquake came. Translation we are staying in the street, i feel bad for my son, his dad passed away and i have to take care of him. People are here to help each other. The mosque is Still Standing and becomes a makeshift refuge. In the morning there were no signs of official aid response. Hussain survived when his son freed him from the wreckage of their home. But his wife was killed. My wife stayed in the house, the feeling came down and struck her. This comes from god, but thankfully my son is safe, he tells me. This is where homes once stood, now people walk through a cascade of ruins, recovery attempts across this region have been painfully slow. So far this clear up is people having to do it by themselves. One of their neighbours, the house was struck, a family of six was in it and five have been killed. Only the father survived. It feels like people barely have time to grieve, you can see the humanitarian challenge that remains. In another village, locals pull a body from the rubble, spanish rescuers are on the ground saying the destruction is absolute. Meanwhile, british rescue gear has arrived with a team of 60 specialists from the uk. People are retrieving what they can from homes too damaged to live in, the survivors are now on the land with all they have left. Lets talk now to a journalist currently in asni, alice morrison. Good to see you. Give us a sense of the picture of where you are. Behind me ou the picture of where you are. Behind me you can the picture of where you are. Behind me you can see the picture of where you are. Behind me you can see some the picture of where you are. Behind me you can see some tents the picture of where you are. Behind me you can see some tents which i the picture of where you are. Behind i me you can see some tents which have been put up to house people who have had houses destroyed or whether houses are two badly damaged to live in. People here are still very frightened and behind them is a row of army trucks, the army has fully mobilised to help the aid effort. It is very busy, i am standing in the market town where i normally do my weekly shop, it is a small town and now it is a hive of activity. There are helicopters flying overhead, there are trucks full of supplies going down the main road. Everything here is in full swing to try and help any survivors of the earthquake. Help any survivors of the earthquake. Help any survivors of the earthuuake. ,. , earthquake. You mentioned the tents for eole earthquake. You mentioned the tents for people who earthquake. You mentioned the tents for people who cannot earthquake. You mentioned the tents for people who cannot return earthquake. You mentioned the tents for people who Cannot Return To for people who Cannot Return To their homes, how many people are we talking about . You their homes, how many people are we talking about . Talking about . You will find hundreds talking about . You will find hundreds and talking about . You will find Hundreds And Thousands i talking about . You will find Hundreds And Thousands across all the different mountains and valleys because none of us are returning evenin because none of us are returning even in my village which was not badly hit that warehouses have been damaged, we are not returning home, we have been camping in the car park because people are frightened, there are cracks in the houses. The because people are frightened, there are cracks in the houses. Are cracks in the houses. The army is bringing are cracks in the houses. The army is bringing eight are cracks in the houses. The army is bringing eight supplies, are cracks in the houses. The army is bringing eight supplies, other. Is bringing eight supplies, other International Organisations along with the armed forces or is it only Moroccan Helpers . I with the armed forces or is it only Moroccan Helpers . With the armed forces or is it only Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners and Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners and normally Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners and normally i Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners and normally i am Moroccan Helpers . I have seen lots of foreigners and normally i am the i of foreigners and normally i am the only one here so i assume there are International Aid workers. There is a lot of effort be put in and even private individuals who have associations here have been bringing things down. The traffic at the bottom, with so many vehicles is slowing down. Bottom, with so many vehicles is slowing down slowing down. What kind of aid is bein slowing down. What kind of aid is being used slowing down. What kind of aid is being used in slowing down. What kind of aid is being used in the slowing down. What kind of aid is being used in the area . Slowing down. What kind of aid is i being used in the area . People have needed, being used in the area . People have needed. For being used in the area . People have needed, for those being used in the area . People have needed, for those who being used in the area . People have needed, for those who survived, i being used in the area . People have needed, for those who survived, not dead or injured, they need tents, blankets, mattresses. At the moment food is ok but they do need food. I am very much on the main road going back into the badly affected areas, but on every side of these mountains there are small hamlets and what is unclear is whether aid is getting to them, whether they need help and whether it is getting to them. I think that is probably the Logistic Problem that the authorities face. If you have a hamlet of 30 people, clay built houses, there may be fine or they may be destroyed but it is a days walk from the road so how do you know . People are battling with that. We you know . People are battling with that. ~. , you know . People are battling with that. ,. , , that. We have seen many buildings comletel that. We have seen many buildings completely destroyed that. We have seen many buildings completely destroyed by that. We have seen many buildings completely destroyed by the i that. We have seen many buildings| completely destroyed by the quake, lots of people digging through rubble with their hands, is there a sense where you are a family people are missing . I sense where you are a family people are missing . Are missing . I dont know. You look at these clay are missing . I dont know. You look at these clay houses, are missing . I dont know. You look at these clay houses, if are missing . I dont know. You look at these clay houses, if one of i at these clay houses, if one of those collapsed on you, i mean. God willing they are still people to be saved but i suspect the main focus is now in helping those who need help now who are still alive. Thank you forjoining us. Lets talk now to mattie khoory, ceo of morocco Childrens Trust based in taroudant. Tell us, how this quake has impacted your work . Tell us, how this quake has impacted our work . , ~ tell us, how this quake has impacted our work . ,. , tell us, how this quake has impacted our work . , i. , tell us, how this quake has impacted our work . ,. ,. , your work . Thank you for having us and we mentioned your work . Thank you for having us and we mentioned we your work . Thank you for having us and we mentioned we are your work . Thank you for having us and we mentioned we are in your work . Thank you for having us and we mentioned we are in the i your work . Thank you for having us| and we mentioned we are in the city of taroudant, the city itself has been extremely impacted and it has been extremely impacted and it has been challenging to respond to communities, there are in shock and fear and it is the first time in the province that we have had this type of natural disaster. What province that we have had this type of natural disaster. Of natural disaster. What do you need to . Our of natural disaster. What do you need to . Our community i of natural disaster. What do you need to . Our community is i of natural disaster. What do you i need to . Our community is without shelter, need to . Our community is without shelter. Food. Need to . Our community is without shelter, food, clothing, need to . Our community is without shelter, food, clothing, without i shelter, food, clothing, without water. There is fear about sleeping indoors, so the community is still sleeping outdoors and spending nights outside. While there are a lot of efforts currently under way which are incredible by the government and by Civil Society is to provide relief to affected communities, there are a lot of obstacles to this. Especially in taroudant, it is the largest province in the country, with 89 communes and a Large Population that is very dispersed. In the different villages surrounding the Provincial Centre. That size makes it very challenging to be able to reach all of those small villages that have been affected the most. Some villagers have been completely destroyed in terms of infrastructure, there have been many deaths and injuries, as we see those numbers climbing. The hospital in the Provincial Centre is completely overwhelmed as residents from surrounding villages are making their way to us to seek treatment and the earthquake was bad and the government and Civil Society are doing a good job responding but our response has been hard because the needs are so dire and so dispersed, they surpass our capacity on the ground at the moment. We thankfully received immense support and concern from international and local communities and that has allowed us to begin our relief efforts. At the moment, we are organising relief kits forfamilies. As mentioned previously, a lot of the needs are basic food, water, tents, blankets. We are also distributing everything thatis we are also distributing everything that is related to relief in terms of providing Psychosocial Support for children and families affected by this. How can we best put these families while providing material needs. ,. , needs. There is the immediate shortterm needs. There is the immediate shortterm concern needs. There is the immediate shortterm concern over i needs. There is the immediate i shortterm concern over shelter, short term concern over shelter, longer term none of these houses are going to be rebuilt quickly, how was your organisation going to protect children, many of whom have been orphaned by the disaster . I children, many of whom have been orphaned by the disaster . Children, many of whom have been orphaned by the disaster . I think we have lost that orphaned by the disaster . I think we have lost that connection. Orphaned by the disaster . I think we have lost that connection. You i orphaned by the disaster . I think we have lost that connection. You can. Have lost that connection. You can aet have lost that connection. You can net the have lost that connection. You can get the latest have lost that connection. You can get the latest on have lost that connection. You can get the latest on the have lost that connection. You can get the latest on the earthquake l have lost that connection. You can | get the latest on the earthquake on the bbc news website. President joe biden flew straight to vietnam from the g20 summit to sign a historic trade deal bringing the former foes closer than ever before. Along with the Vietnamese Communist Party leader, Nguyen Phu Trong , mr biden issued a joint statement warning against the threat or use of force in the disputed South China Sea. The comprehensive Strategic Partnership with vietnam is a major Relationship Upgrade for the us. Its the Culmination Of A Push by washington over the past two years to strengthen ties with vietnam which it sees as key to counter chinas influence in asia. Lets talk now to lien hang when, professor of us east asian relations, and co founder of Vietnamese Studies at columbia university. Good to have you with us. What you make of the agreement . I am good to have you with us. What you make of the agreement . Make of the agreement . I am a historian and make of the agreement . I am a historian and i make of the agreement . I am a historian and i dont make of the agreement . I am a historian and i dont use make of the agreement . I am a historian and i dont use this i make of the agreement . I am a l historian and i dont use this word often but it is historic. This was an elevation of thai is a long time coming. An elevation of thai is a long time cominr. ~. , an elevation of thai is a long time comin. ,. , an elevation of thai is a long time cominr. ~. ,. ,. , an elevation of thai is a long time comin. ,. ,. ,. , an elevation of thai is a long time comin. ,. ,. ,. ,. , coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why the coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why the us coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why the us wants i coming. What does vietnam get out of this . We can see why the us wants to| this . We can see why the us wants to assert itself in the region but what is it in it for vietnam . This assert itself in the region but what is it in it for vietnam . Is it in it for vietnam . This is an extremely is it in it for vietnam . This is an extremely important is it in it for vietnam . This is an extremely important to is it in it for vietnam . This is an extremely important to step i is it in it for vietnam . This is an extremely important to step up| is it in it for vietnam . This is an i extremely important to step up for vietnam in terms of upgrading the relation with the United States. Vietnam is getting a lot out of it in terms ofjust. Just all of the exchange in terms of scientific, technical, climate, energy, climate, Deepening Trade and in investment. This is an extremely important step for vietnam. We this is an extremely important step for vietnam for vietnam. We are talking about the us and for vietnam. We are talking about the us and vietnam for vietnam. We are talking about the us and vietnam relationships| for vietnam. We are talking about i the us and vietnam relationships but there is a third party, that is the peoples republic of china. How will beijing see this new agreement between the us and vietnam . That is a aood between the us and vietnam . That is a good question between the us and vietnam . That is a good question. One between the us and vietnam . That is a good question. One of between the us and vietnam . That is a good question. One of the between the us and vietnam . That is a good question. One of the things i a good question. One of the things that vietnam always has to take into account when it is making a step towards one of its allies in this sort of elevation of the us, vietnam relations, to a comprehensive strategic relationship is that the need the steps to message to beijing that it isnt a hostile step and that it isnt a hostile step and that relations between vietnam and china are very tight. This is an elevation for vietnam in terms of us vietnam relation to one that would be at the same level as the vietnam china relation. At the same time this is something that would put beijing on alert, all of its allies in Southeast Asia are also shared allies with the United States. [30 in Southeast Asia are also shared allies with the United States. Do we think beijing allies with the United States. Do we think beijing might allies with the United States. Do we think beijing might make allies with the United States. Do we think beijing might make a allies with the United States. Do we think beijing might make a move i allies with the United States. Do we think beijing might make a move in response to this . I think beijing might make a move in response to this . Response to this . I think they will, i think leaders response to this . I think they will, i think leaders in response to this . I think they will, i think leaders in beijing i think leaders in beijing definitely will. Vietnamese leaders have taken that into account in terms of offsetting the pressure, manipulation they may get from their larger allies to the north. There are various larger allies to the north. There are various factors larger allies to the north. There are various factors at larger allies to the north. There are various factors at play,