A Moroccan media organisation has said it filed a complaint against two French newspapers for their coverage of a devastating earthquake that hit the kingdom earlier this month.

The Moroccan National Press Council [NPC] said on Wednesday it filed a complaint to the Press and Mediation Ethics Council in France, in which it urged appropriate action against Charlie Hebdo and Liberation for their "unethical coverage" and breach of ethical journalism standards during coverage to the catastrophe.

It noted that it had documented violations and incitement by the newspapers for Morocco’s rejection of a French proposal for support after the quake.

It said Charlie Hebdo published a caricature September 15 that incited "a lack of solidarity and discouraging contributions to support the victims of the earthquake in Morocco."

NPC also said Liberation featured a story of a female quake victim with a title: "Help us, we are dying in silence," but after verification, NPC discovered the newspaper published content that contradicted her actual words.

Devastating quake

The 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Al Haouz province south of Marrakesh on September 8, killing nearly 3,000 people and injuring thousands more.

The Moroccan government said in a statement it was setting aside $11.7 billion to help 4.2 million inhabitants affected by the quake over a period of five years.

The funds would be used to "rehouse affected people, reconstruct homes and restore infrastructure", said the statement published at the end of a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI.

The earthquake razed thousands of homes in central Morocco, including the High Atlas mountain range, forcing families to sleep out in the open with winter around the corner.

Morocco rejected most offers of aid from other countries but accepted help from Spain, the UK, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to take part in rescue efforts.