Water crisis threatens millions with thirst in Tunisia

Tunisian President Kais Saied has called on the government to immediately address the water crisis in the country, where millions who rely on agriculture are facing the threat of thirst amid repeated water cuts and the disruption of work of the concerned institutions.
A farmer holds a handful of soil parched because of drought in Tunisia's east-central area of Kairouan.
A farmer holds a handful of soil parched because of drought in Tunisia's east-central area of Kairouan, on Oct. 20, 2021. All four Maghreb states -- Tunisia, Libya, Algeria and Morocco -- are among the 30 most water-stressed countries in the world, according to the World Resources Institute. - ANIS MILI/AFP via Getty Images
Sghaier Hidri
Sghaier Hidri
@HidriSghaier

TUNIS — Millions of Tunisians face the specter of thirst due to frequent water cuts by authorities, prompting President Kais Saied to pressure the government into finding urgent solutions to the water crisis.

During a visit to Bizerte governorate in northern Tunisia on July 19, Saied denounced the water cuts: “It is 45 degrees Celsius and water supply is shut off while swimming pools and water bottles are full.”

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