Summary:

In recent days, shortages of staple goods have led to increasingly chaotic scenes at grocery stores and markets as crowds gather in search of milk and sugar which have been difficult to find across Tunisia. 

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Videos shared widely on Facebook have shown chaotic and even violent scenes as large crowds press into small areas, demanding products from sellers who do not have enough supply to meet demand. Some reports indicated that crowds stormed the non-public storage areas of supermarkets, seeking to locate stockpiles. 

As word spreads that a supplier has acquired some stock, crowds can gather quickly and frustration can boil over. Another video shared widely showed supermarket employees throwing sugar into a crowd in frustration and then chasing them from the store. 

An agricultural union official recently insisted that the current lull in the production of milk is a normal part of the milk production cycle. The official indicated that if consumers only purchase the milk they need the supplies should meet demand. 

For consumers, access to even a single box of milk often comes with long lines, frustrated crowds, and supplies that can be quickly depleted before all customers can be served. Many have had to resort to leveraging informal connections to local suppliers who can, on occasion, provide preferential access to milk. 

Outlook: 

Rising frustrations from consumers and a growing list of recent examples of those frustrations boiling over in stores and markets are a sign of ongoing economic strain. 

While the government continues to exhort consumers to only buy what they need, few can find even that.  

As families prepare for New Year’s celebrations that come with numerous traditional dishes and events that center on food preparation and consumption, more incidents are likely to occur. 

As Ramadan approaches, the government may seek to prop up supplies again as happened in 2023. However, economic circumstances have shifted significantly in the past year and the government may struggle to surge supplies of staple goods, potentially creating even greater potential for social unrest. 

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