Casablanca Bids Farewell to “Douar El Warda” A Landmark Shantytown

This week, Casablanca’s local authorities began the demolition of Douar El Warda, one of the city’s oldest informal settlements, as part of a national initiative to eradicate substandard housing.

The area has long symbolized urban marginalization, with generations living in hardship. Now, the bulldozers signal both an end — and a new beginning.

Officials state that residents have been registered and allocated housing units or plots, though some express fears over delays and lack of social support.

Douar El Warda may be gone physically, but its emotional and cultural footprint remains — a reminder that urban change must balance progress with dignity.