On 8 September 2023, a 6.8 magnitude [[earthquake]] hit Morocco killing more than 2,800 people and injuring thousands. The [[Epicenter|epicentre]] of the quake was around 70 km southwest of city of [[Marrakesh|Marrakech]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Timeline: The Deadly September 8 Earthquake in Morocco |url=https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2023/09/357589/timeline-the-deadly-september-8-earthquake-in-morocco |website=moroccoworldnews.com}}</ref>
According to social anthropologist Cristiana Strava, there is still tension between Morocco's inhabitants and external forces.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Strava |first=C. |title=Introduction. In Precarious Modernities: Assembling State, Space and Society on the Urban Margins in Morocco |publisher=London: Zed Books |year=2022 |pages=5-27}}</ref> She highlights two significant developments: a growing disconnect between local and foreign experts and the daily concerns of lower-class residents, and a diminishing legitimacy of social justice discourses due to the rise of neoliberal reforms. At the same time, Moroccan cities are undergoing transformations fueled by state-sponsored real estate growth and ambitions for regional dominance. Rooted in historical processes initiated by colonial forces, these changes underscore fundamental tensions within contemporary Moroccan society, highlighting growing inequality and the marginalization of the lower classes.{{Undue weight inline|date=March 2024|reason=Paragraph about a single author's recent publication is potentially disproportionate for an overview article about a whole country.}}
