A crowdfunding campaign launched to support the independent search for a seven-year-old British girl who was swept out to sea during a family holiday in Morocco has rapidly surpassed £50,000 in donations.
Inaayah Makda, a young girl from Blackburn, Lancashire, vanished on Wednesday, January 28, after being caught in a sudden, powerful tide while visiting a beach near Casablanca. The tragedy unfolded on the very first night of what was intended to be a week-long family getaway.
Since the heartbreaking incident, Inaayah’s parents, Zubair and Tasneem Makda, have remained in Morocco, spearheading desperate efforts to locate their daughter. Frustrated by what they described as an inadequate initial response from local authorities, the family and their loved ones have taken matters into their own hands, hiring private boat operators and aerial support to comb the coastline.
The community response in the United Kingdom has been overwhelming. A GoFundMe appeal titled ‘Search for Inaya’ was established to help shoulder the immense financial burden of private rescue operations, translator services, emergency travel, and other unforeseen expenses. With a target of £90,000, donations have poured in from well-wishers across the country, crossing the £50,000 milestone as the search enters a critical phase.
Accounts of the Incident
According to accounts shared by family members, the tragedy occurred shortly after the family arrived at the beach near Casablanca. When they first stepped onto the shore, the tide appeared to be exceptionally far out, creating a deceptive sense of safety. The family ventured onto a rocky area where the rock formations were spaced roughly half a meter apart.
Without warning, the tide rushed in with astonishing speed. Within approximately 20 minutes, the rising water swept numerous beachgoers off the rocks and into the churning sea. While other individuals caught in the sudden surge managed to reach safety, young Inaayah was separated from her parents.
Relatives speaking on behalf of the family noted that there were no visible warning signs or safety advisories posted for tourists in the area. The ferocious wave struck, knocking Inaayah in one direction while forcing her parents away, abruptly cutting them off from their daughter and surrounding them with deep, dangerous waters.
Mr. and Mrs. Makda were ultimately swept into the sea themselves alongside their daughter, but after managing to climb back to safety, they realized they had lost sight of her entirely.
The Family’s Agonizing Wait and Search Efforts
In the immediate aftermath of the disappearance, a wave of anguish rippled through the family’s hometown of Blackburn and the wider British Muslim community. Naseem Khan, a presenter for the Blackburn-based local media outlet UCTV, shared a harrowing voice note sent by Inaayah’s father, Zubair.
In the audio message, a visibly distraught Mr. Makda described the terrifying moments of the incident and voiced his deep anguish, alongside sharp criticism of the initial assistance provided by local official rescue services.
"We were just on the rocks… that were sort of spread apart. It’s sort of like half a metre-high type of rocks and that’s when the tide just suddenly just swept everyone out," Zubair said in the voice note. "Inaayah was on a rock behind me. I pray she’s okay and she’s on a rock or something and she’s just waiting for somebody to rescue her."
Struggling with the unimaginable pain of uncertainty, he added, "I just pray she’s not gone and she’s not left us. I’ve always said that she’s a special girl."
Desperate to leave no stone unturned, the family transitioned from relying solely on local official channels to deploying private resources. The funds raised through the GoFundMe campaign are being channeled directly into paying for private boat hires and helicopter sweeps of the coastline, as well as covering the logistical hurdles of coordinating across language barriers with local Moroccan agencies.
Organizers of the fundraiser emphasized the heavy toll the situation is taking on the grieving parents. "As many of you may have seen, our beautiful seven-year-old niece Inaya has gone missing after being swept out to sea on the first day of her family holiday in Morocco. This is an unimaginably distressing time for her parents and loved ones," the fundraiser description states.
"We are urgently asking for your kind support and donations to help cover the costs of the ongoing search efforts, including private boat hire, aerial support, as well as essential family expenses. These include translator support, emergency travel, and other unforeseen costs arising from the search and coordination with local authorities," the appeal continues. "At present, many of these costs are being met privately by the family, and we are coming together to do everything possible to support them during this critical time."
Local and National Support
Back home in Lancashire, Inaayah is well-known within her local community as a pupil at Roe Lee Park Primary School and an attendee of the Masjid-e-Saliheen madrasah. The news of her disappearance has deeply affected classmates, teachers, neighbors, and community leaders.
Adnan Hussain, the Member of Parliament for Blackburn, expressed his profound sorrow over the incident, stating that he was completely "heartbroken" by the news. Mr. Hussain confirmed that he has been in direct contact with Inaayah’s family to offer his full support during their darkest hour.
"I am urgently raising this matter with the UK authorities, including the Foreign Office, to ensure every possible step is being taken to support the search efforts and to provide the family with all the assistance they require at this deeply distressing time," Mr. Hussain stated.
Official diplomatic channels have also swung into motion. A spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed that the government is actively monitoring the situation. The Foreign Office stated that it is "supporting the family of a British national reported missing in Morocco" and remains "in contact with local authorities" to help facilitate communication and support on the ground.
As the independent search continues along the Moroccan coastline, donations to the ‘Search for Inaya’ GoFundMe campaign continue to grow, reflecting a widespread wave of solidarity for the family as they pray for a breakthrough in the search for their beloved daughter.