TUNIS, Sept 4 (Reuters) – For Siwar Derbeli, the nationwide rice shortage is not only one of the unfortunate symptoms of Tunisia’s strained public finances, but also a cause of hunger. She suffers from celiac disease, so this is one of the few staple foods she can safely eat. .
Shortages of subsidized imports have increased in Tunisia since last year, with wheat, sugar, cooking oil and dairy products regularly disappearing from supermarket shelves, along with some medicines.
Although rice is not the most common staple food in Tunisia, with bread, pasta and couscous being eaten more often, the lack of gluten means that an estimated 100,000 people in the country suffer from self-isolation, which can lead to dangerous reactions to gluten. Rice is essential for patients with celiac disease, an immune disorder.
“When I go home, I can’t find basic food to eat. It’s a very unfortunate situation,” said Delberg, 18.
Her mother, Hasna Alfaoui, an unemployed widow with three children who worked as a janitor, made it difficult for Alfaoui to make Derbeli dinners with expensive gluten-free pasta. was difficult.
“We are facing difficulties with her diet and it is very tiring for us. The special foods she needs are expensive and we often struggle to buy them. Yes, there is a shortage of basic ingredients such as rice,” she said.
The government denies that the fiscal crisis is to blame for the shortfall, as foreign bailout negotiations stall and ratings agencies warn Tunisia may default on its debt.
But economists, political analysts, and Tunisia’s influential trade unions all say the government is slowing or halting imports of subsidized products to address a $5 billion budget deficit, despite the public’s plight. He says that he is doing some things.
Mongi Ben Hriz, president of the Tunisian Celiac Association, said no ships would unload rice until December and the country’s stocks were already depleted.
Some rice is privately imported, but the price is much higher and prohibitive for many Tunisians.
“People are currently having great difficulty sourcing rice, and some are changing their diets and putting their health at risk because of it,” he said.
Reporting by Latifa Guesmi and Jihed Abidellaoui. Written by Angus McDowall.Editing: Angus McSwan
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