Morocco
Young Moroccans have flooded into the streets for the fourth night straight to demand better social services and an end to corruption as billions of dollars are spent ahead of the country hosting the World Cup in 2030. The demonstrations turned violent as security forces clashed with the crowds after a weekend in which peaceful demonstrators were arrested. The protests have been largely organized on social media by a loose group calling itself GenZ 212. “The right to health, education and a dignified life is not an empty slogan but a serious demand,” it wrote on the Discord platform. The demonstrations follow similarly styled “Gen Z” protests in countries including Nepal, Madagascar and Kenya.
More from AP here.
Myanmar
Tens of thousands of children are going hungry in war-torn Myanmar’s Rakhine state, the U.N. said, warning of an impending catastrophe. Ajib Bahar, a 38-year-old mother, told Reuters that her six-month-old son died in her arms when she had no food or medicine to give him. “My children cried all night from hunger. I boiled grass and gave it to them just to keep them quiet,” she said. Rakhine state has suffered years of conflict, with the army targeting the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority. More than 100,000 children are suffering from acute malnutrition and only two percent can access treatment, according to newly published data. Myanmar descended into chaos when the military overthrew a democratically elected government in 2021. After a brutal crackdown on peaceful protesters, a civil war involving a patchwork of rebel groups broke out.
More from Reuters here.
Gaza
The Global Sumud Flotilla, a fleet of more than 40 civilian boats loaded with aid, is almost certain to be intercepted by the Israeli military as it nears Gaza with the aim of breaking a blockade on the Palestinian enclave. The Israeli government has smeared the flotilla as organized by Hamas, with a particular focus on high-profile activist Greta Thunberg, who is on board one of the vessels. That tactic has raised fears for the safety of the activists. Flotilla organizers have therefore asked that people bear witness as they approach the danger zone.
There is a live feed from on board the boats here.
And a radar tracker here.