Tunisia is facing a severe shortage of bottled water, with shelves in most supermarkets and neighbourhood stores remaining empty for several weeks as of September 1, 2026.
The shortage is affecting people across a country that has become dependent on bottled water, according to the available research. Empty shelves have been reported in both large supermarkets and smaller neighbourhood shops, indicating that bottled water has been difficult to find through the main retail outlets identified in the report.
The research does not provide figures for the number of shops affected, the volume of water currently available, or the length of time required for supplies to return. It also does not identify a cause for the shortage or describe any government, retailer or producer response.
The reported disruption follows what the research describes as a scorching August, but no direct link between the weather and the shortage is established in the available information. The report likewise does not provide details on prices, household access to alternative water sources or whether the situation differs between regions.
For now, the clearest reported impact is the continued absence of bottled water from most supermarket and neighbourhood-store shelves. The shortage is taking place in a country described as dependent on bottled water, leaving the scale and duration of the disruption as key details still to be established.