IKHLAS AL-HAMROUNI

Tunis_The intense heatwaves that Tunisia witnessed this summer were not the only challenge facing families. High temperatures conincided with repeated water and electricity outages in several areas, turning summer days into a harsh daily test, particularly for women who bear a significant share of family care responsibilities, household management,and securing basic needs.

In Sidi Bouzid Governorate, particularly in the rural villages of Al-Riqab and Jilma, with electricity cuts lasting for hours and days in some areas—after having previously been cut for short periods of no more than an hour in past years—many families found themselves facing difficulties in providing basic services such as food preservation, operating cooling appliances, in addition to risks threatening patients, the elderly, and people dependent on medical devices connected to electricity. Water cuts lasting for several days, up to three days—compared to half a day previously—have also had numerous repercussions on their lives.

A Harsh Summer and Repeated Outages

Halima Al-Falhi says this summer was one of the most difficult periods she has experienced, noting that high temperatures coincided with prolonged water and electricity cuts. "We have lived through a difficult and extremely harsh period, marked by unusually high temperatures. The government, instead of easing conditions for us, has increased our suffering."

She says electricity cuts last about ten hours, while water cuts have sometimes extended to consecutive days. She adds that despite being over sixty years old, she has never experienced similar conditions in terms of heat intensity and outage duration.

The repercussions of water scarcity are not limited to family members, as Halima says she raises a number of livestock that have also been affected by water shortages, placing the family before a difficult equation of distributing limited quantities between human and animal needs.

She adds that families were forced to buy bottled water to cover part of their needs, but rising prices increased pressure on their budgets, at a time when daily expenses are rising and the ability to bear additional costs is declining. She asks how families can afford to buy large quantities of water while facing rising living costs at the same time.

Patients and Elderly in the Danger Zone

Halima Al-Falhi believes that the repercussions of electricity cuts go beyond disrupting household appliances to reach health conditions where electricity may be a necessity for life. "Cutting electricity and water is not a solution. There are patients dependent on medical devices, and others who need oxygen machines to breathe." She notes that she has heard of deaths linked to deteriorating health conditions and repeated, unannounced electricity cuts.

She explained that water availability turns into a race against time, as families simultaneously try to fill tanks and containers, wash clothes, bathe, and secure animals' needs before water is cut off again.

She believes that women bear a significant share of these burdens because they are often responsible for organizing household work and providing family members' needs, making water and electricity cuts an additional burden on them. She notes that the heat and outages have also affected her health. "I have begun suffering from shortness of breath and can no longer speak due to the pressure and constant worry."

Halima Al-Falhi questions the absence of prior preparations despite warnings about heatwaves, noting that some health facilities, including maternity wards in some hospitals, have also experienced water and electricity cuts, multiplying risks for patients and medical staff.

Lack of Planning Exacerbates the Crisis

In reading the dimensions of the crisis, Sanaa Al-Amari, a sociologist specializing in development, environment, and labor issues, says that repeated electricity cuts have come to affect daily life details, at a time when electricity has become an essential service connected to many vital sectors.

She explained that the crisis escalates when outages coincide with exceptional temperature rises, noting that its effects are not distributed equally among populations, with the elderly, patients, children, and women inside homes among the most affected groups.

She believes that outages do not only affect families but extend to workers, institutions, and various services, as power cuts can disrupt work, cause loss of working hours and income, as well as disrupt some facilities and basic services.

The crisis, according to Sanaa Al-Amari, raises questions about the readiness of infrastructure to deal with the effects of climate change, especially with increasing scientific warnings of rising temperatures, recurring heatwaves, and growing pressure on water resources and electricity networks.

She noted that the crisis's effects do not stop at economic, agricultural, or service sectors but extend directly to public health, especially for patients dependent on oxygen machines or other medical equipment requiring a continuous power source.

She believes that the absence of clear communication keeps families in a state of anticipation and anxiety, as they do not know when electricity or water will be cut or when it will return, making daily life organization difficult and multiplying psychological pressures. She affirmed that providing information to citizens does not replace addressing the root of the problem, but it is an essential measure to reduce damage, especially concerning vital facilities and the most vulnerable groups.

The Need for Long-Term Solutions

Sanaa Al-Amari calls for a comprehensive government plan to deal with crises related to heat, water, and electricity, with special attention to rural and interior areas due to weak basic services in many of these areas.

She emphasized the necessity of investing in infrastructure, enhancing electricity production capacity, securing water resources, improving distribution networks, and protecting vital facilities, foremost among them hospitals and health centers.

She also calls for involving climate, energy, environment, and water experts and specialists in formulating public policies, considering that confronting the effects of climate change is no longer a future issue but a current challenge requiring practical and sustainable solutions.

Sanaa Al-Amari does not see the current crisis as limited to electricity and water, as she points to the impact on other services, including internet and communications, raising concerns about the continuity of basic services, particularly in health institutions.

She warned that continued weak preparations and infrastructure could lead to repeated crises and the expansion of their social, economic, and health effects, affirming that the solution requires moving from crisis management after occurrence to building a proactive system based on planning, investment, and preparedness.

Three Days Without Water and Electricity

For her part, Fatima Khasakhsi said that residents of her area have never experienced a summer under such conditions, explaining that heatwaves coincided with prolonged water and electricity cuts that in some cases lasted three consecutive days.

She says losses were not limited to food, noting that the return of electricity after some outages was sometimes accompanied by a sudden power surge, causing damage to a number of household appliances.

Regarding water cuts, she says they sometimes extended to three days, forcing families to rely on bottled water. However, meeting daily needs requires large quantities, especially for drinking, cooking, washing, and ablution.

Fatima Khasakhsi believes that the elderly were among the most affected groups, as they need comfort, coolness, and continuous water supply under such conditions—yet they found themselves facing heat and the interruption of basic services simultaneously.