A major fundraising effort has surged past £50,000 as family, friends, and sympathizers rally to support the independent search for a seven-year-old British girl from Blackburn, Lancashire, who was tragically swept out to sea while on holiday in Morocco.
Inaayah Makda vanished on Wednesday, January 28, during the opening hours of what was meant to be a relaxing week-long family getaway. The incident occurred on a beach near Casablanca, where Inaayah’s parents, Zubair and Tasneem Makda, had taken their daughter to enjoy the coastline on the first night of their trip.
According to accounts provided by the family and relatives, the tragedy unfolded with terrifying speed. Upon arriving at the beach, the family observed that the tide appeared to be far out, creating a deceptive sense of safety. They ventured out onto a network of rocky outcrops, described as being spaced apart and roughly half a metre high.
However, within minutes, the situation deteriorated drastically. Without warning or visible hazard signs for tourists, the tide rushed in with immense force. Relatives noted that within twenty minutes, the incoming water had swept numerous people off the rocks. While other beachgoers managed to find safety, seven-year-old Inaayah and her parents were caught directly in the path of the powerful surge.
A wave violently separated the family, knocking Inaayah in one direction while forcing Zubair and Tasneem into the water elsewhere. Despite being pulled into the churning sea themselves, the parents managed to climb back to safety, but in the chaos and turbulent waters, they completely lost sight of their daughter.
An Agonising Search and Frustration Over Official Aid
In the wake of the disaster, Zubair and Tasneem Makda remained in Casablanca, enduring an unimaginably distressing ordeal as they spearheaded efforts to locate their child. Local and community networks in the United Kingdom quickly amplified the family’s plight, with Naseem Khan, a presenter for Blackburn-based UCTV, sharing an emotional voice note recorded by Inaayah’s father.
In the audio message, a grief-stricken Zubair detailed the sudden nature of the tidal shift and expressed his desperate hope for his daughter’s survival.
"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 harrowing 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."
Alongside the emotional toll of the disappearance, the family voiced deep frustration regarding the initial response from local authorities, stating that they received very little substantive help from official Moroccan search operations during the critical opening hours following the incident. Faced with what they perceived as a severe lack of adequate action, the family took the initiative to hire a private search operator, including aerial support via helicopter, to comb the coastline and surrounding waters.
Community Support and Fundraising Efforts
To help bear the crippling financial burden of private rescue operations, an online crowdfunding campaign was established via GoFundMe under the title "Search for Inaya." The response from the public has been overwhelming, with donations rapidly scaling past the £50,000 mark toward an initial target of £90,000.
The description on the fundraising page highlights the immense strain currently placed on the family. "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 appeal reads.
The statement outlines the extensive expenses required to sustain the independent rescue operation, noting that funds are urgently needed to cover the costs of private boat hire, aerial support, and essential family provisions. These include translator services, emergency travel accommodations, and various unforeseen logistical costs arising from coordinating search efforts independently alongside local authorities.
"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," the fundraiser adds.
Back home in Blackburn, the news has sent shockwaves through the local community. Inaayah is a well-regarded pupil at Roe Lee Park Primary School and regularly attends the Masjid-e-Saliheen madrasah, where she is known by teachers and peers alike.
Elected officials have also stepped in to offer formal assistance and press for diplomatic intervention. Adnan Hussain, the Member of Parliament for Blackburn, expressed profound sorrow over the incident, stating that he was heartbroken by the news and had been in direct communication with the Makda family to offer his full backing.
"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.
Meanwhile, the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has confirmed its involvement, issuing a brief statement indicating that officials are actively supporting the family of a British national reported missing in Morocco and maintaining ongoing contact with local authorities on the ground.
The "Search for Inaya" fundraising page remains active on GoFundMe as the search operations continue along the Moroccan coastline.