Tunisians describe a summer of water and power shortages

Tunisia endured a punishing summer, with temperatures nearing 50°C accompanying frequent water and power cuts across the country, some lasting more than ten hours. Relief only began in early September, when the head of the Trade Association of Supermarket Chains announced that around 2.3 million bottles of mineral water were being distributed daily in supermarkets in the Tunis area.

The strain on the electricity grid stemmed from increased air conditioning use and a surge in summer tourism. Power shortages, in turn, hit the water supply, since Tunisia's national water utility relies on electric pumps. As a result, long queues formed outside shops and delivery points, often late at night, as residents waited for rationed bottled water.

Price gouging and black markets

Residents in areas including Jemmal, Ariana and the coastal town of Chebba described chaotic scenes during water deliveries, with shopkeepers hiding stock to resell it at double the price. Water officially priced at about €0.24 per litre has reportedly sold for two to two-and-a-half times that on beaches, often sourced from the black market.

Economic and health toll

Poultry farmers in the Sfax region, which accounts for the bulk of Tunisia's poultry production, have been especially hard hit. One farmer said he lost hundreds of chickens despite running generators, while a neighbouring farm lost 12,000 birds, a loss estimated at nearly €65,000. Residents also reported heat-related deaths, including in prisons, among people unable to cool their homes.

Political fallout

Anger has fuelled protests in July and August. President Kaïs Saïed described the crisis as the result of "deliberate acts of sabotage" by the country's enemies, but unions and state companies point instead to ageing infrastructure and years of delayed investment. Some residents fear that if conditions do not improve, unrest could echo the mass protests of 2011.