Tunisia: Sugar shortages put a damper on Ramanan celebrations
As Tunisia struggles with inflation, sugar shortages create panic among Tunisians as Ramadan celebrations loom, reports Arab News plus agencies.
What should be a time of joy, tradition and spiritual growth for the civilians practising Ramadan, has now been tainted by the country’s ongoing economic crisis.
Dozens of customers are standing in long queues outside of supermarkets in downtown Tunis to buy sugar.
The ingredient is essential for families to make copious amounts of traditional sweets and pastries to mark the end of the Muslim holy month that ends on April 9th.
Like other basic foods in the North African country, sugar is subsidised by the state and is now being rationed to 1-2 kilograms per customer, per week.
READ: Tunisia: Food shortages worry coeliac disease sufferers
Civilians such as Sami, 40, queue with his family members to increase their sugar rations so they can use them for Ramadan.
“one day we queue for flour, another for semolina and another for sugar” he stated.
The lack of funds in Tunisia’s public coffers means that sugar, along with other culinary essentials such as meat, flour and semolina, have been scarce since late 2022.
Lamia Bouraoui, 58, stated that she “never thought that one day we would form a queue in Tunisia to buy sugar.”
Without enough sugar, “we are deprived this year of this pleasure,” Bouraoui added.
READ: Ramadan takes its toll on Tunisians
As the queue gets longer, the more customers get frustrated with the wait. “I’ve been here for the past 35 minutes… Why are we going through all this? How did we get here?” said 40-year-old Hassna.
“Let us thank God we are in a better situation than our brothers in Gaza who are dying of hunger,” replied a bystander in the queue to Hassna.
Others are trying to make light of the country’s latest challenge. Nayla, a shopper making her way around the mall stated, “Bitter coffee doesn’t bother me anymore.”
The shortage has not only dealt a blow to people hoping to celebrate Ramadan but also many Bakeries.
Chokri Bouajila, a bakery worker in Tunis who specialises in Tunisian traditional sweets said that customers have been buying less and less of his pastries. He stated, “We rely on sugar in everything we do… If we have sugar, we can work, otherwise we can’t do anything.”
Tunisians have seen their purchasing power greatly diminish over the last few years, facing inflation, recession and rising unemployment that plague the country.
A third of Tunisia’s population is estimated to be living under the poverty line as 12 million grapple with debt worth 80% of its entire economic output.
Arab News/ Agencies.
