Tunisia struggles with severe gas shortage amid freezing temperatures
Tunisia is facing a worsening gas shortage that has left families and businesses struggling to stay warm and keep running.
Many people are queuing for hours in cities like Sousse, sometimes days, just to buy a gas cylinder for cooking or heating.
Even after the long waits, many leave empty-handed, frustrated by the lack of supply.
Residents say the crisis is taking a huge toll on their businesses and livelihoods.
The government says help is on the way, pointing to incoming shipments of liquefied gas, but many Tunisians are losing patience.
In some areas, people have blocked delivery trucks, pleading for gas to be unloaded immediately. In certain cases, security forces have had to step in to escort supply vehicles.
The crisis is even worse in the northwest, where temperatures drop below freezing and snow covers the hills. In these regions, the need for gas is urgent, but supply remains scarce.
Delivery trucks face long delays at filling stations, sometimes waiting up to three days before they are loaded, The New Arab reports.
Tunisia relies heavily on liquefied gas to heat homes and cook meals. Most rural areas depend on gas cylinders because only one-third of the country is connected to natural gas pipelines, mainly in major cities.
On a typical winter day, Tunisia needs over 200,000 gas cylinders, but disruptions in the supply chain have caused a severe shortage.
