Summary:

On 15 September 2023, the Ministries of Transportation and Agriculture announced the opening of an investigation into the large-scale theft of wheat from the port of Sfax.

Initial reports indicated that an employee of the port had been arrested in connection with the investigation.

Reports of wheat theft at the Sfax port come following reports last week of local residents in Hammamet looting a truck transporting wheat to a distribution center.

Outlook:  

Wheat shortages and the resultant lack of flour and bread continue to be reported country-wide as the government struggles to source subsidized flour with a depleted national budget.

With flour as the cornerstone of the Tunisian diet, this problem is likely to stoke frustrations with the government, particularly from more economically strained parts of the country.

As shortages of critical goods continue, the likelihood of tangible backlash against the government in the form of unrest grows.

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