Tunisian North West Regions Endure Cold Waves and Economic Hardships

Kef: North-western Tunisia

As temperatures dropped below zero in the Tunisian north-west over the past few days, the scarcity of essential goods has made conditions even harder for inhabitants of the region.

The recent cold fronts, accompanied by snow in the north-west mountains, have forced inhabitants of these remote regions, such as Kef and Jandouba (mainly Tabarka and Ain Draham), to look for solutions to stay safe and warm. However, shortages of goods like gas, milk, and bread have made adapting to the freezing weather a challenge. Strikes and sit-ins, which have paralyzed factories and goods distribution centers nationwide, are the main reason behind shortages in bread and milk.

According to Ibrahim, a local grocery store owner in Kef, the scarcity in gas has been ongoing for over two weeks in his city. “At first, there was no gas at all because of strikes. Then, as sit-ins were lifted, the quantity of gas distributed was less than usual and not enough for everyone.”

Naziha, a student who lives in Kef, said that lines in front of gas stores keep getting longer in spite of the cold. “Some people living in rural areas are renting cars to look for gas elsewhere. What about those who can’t afford renting a car? They would just starve in this cold.”

The difficult conditions that some of Tunisia’s regions are enduring reflect broader economic issues Tunisia is suffering from. Since the uprising, Tunisia’s economy has not been stable. The World Bank reported that, “The revolution and the neighboring Libyan crisis have had a negative impact on the short-term economic outlook.”

According to the same source, Tunisia’s GDP, which was previously expected to rise, is, “now projected to slow down,” mainly owing to the increasing rate of unemployment. Additionally, the European Union, Tunisia’s main trading partner, has been suffering from the 2008 financial crisis, which has consequently had a negative impact on the Tunisian economy.

Despite the fact that the new interim president and members of the interim government have visited several regions of the country in the past week, no efficient measures were taken to deal with the scarcity of essential goods in the North West.

However, while the government has failed to provide an answer, Tunisian citizens have tried to create solutions. A group of Tunisians living in Germany started a volunteering company, using social networking to collect covers and clothes for those struggling with the cold in the deprived rural areas of the north-west. The group of Tunisian-Germans were looking for more volunteers within Tunisia to help them deliver covers and clothes to families in need.