Tunisia is running out of bottled water. Supermarket and shop shelves have been empty for weeks. The country has grown heavily dependent on bottled water, with average consumption rising from 87 liters per person in 2010 to 241 liters in 2024.
The reliance stems from a loss of trust in tap water. Though officially safe, tap water quality varies by region. Frequent cuts have also pushed people toward bottled water. A 1.5-liter bottle costs 0.850 dinar, about 25 euro cents.
The crisis worsened in late August. Finding a bottle has become a daily struggle. In one neighborhood, residents stormed a delivery truck and fought over bottles. Videos of clashes between consumers and merchants are circulating online. One shopkeeper was arrested for illegally doubling prices.
Authorities blame rising demand and power cuts. Exceptionally high temperatures since early July have driven consumption. Power outages have also slowed production. Winter stocks are now gone. Factories are running at full capacity but still face disruptions. Water and electricity cuts have multiplied across many regions.
President Kais Saied has suggested a conspiracy. He said the shortage is not due to “ordinary” outages and claimed unnamed actors want to “stir up tensions” and “spread lies.” He added that “the enemies of the homeland and their allies are unmasked.”
But even some supporters are unconvinced. One deputy publicly challenged the president, writing: “We supported you to serve your people, not for them to bear the consequences of powerlessness.” She warned that “the country is boiling” and criticized the government’s silence.
Two Al Jazeera journalists were briefly detained while covering the shortage and forced to delete their footage. State media aired images of military personnel distributing water and seizing hidden stocks.
Reference
Le Monde, “La Tunisie fait face à une grave pénurie de bouteilles d’eau au terme d’un mois d’août caniculaire,” published August 30, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/afrique/article/2026/08/30/la-tunisie-fait-face-a-une-grave-penurie-de-bouteilles-d-eau-au-terme-d-un-mois-d-aout-caniculaire_6760779_3212.html