Local authorities report over 120 hospital admissions in the city amid a surge in respiratory illnesses linked to industrial pollution.
Published On 14 Oct 2025
In the southern Tunisian city of Gabes, a significant number of residents have been admitted to hospitals due to respiratory ailments, which locals attribute to pollution from a nearby chemical manufacturing plant.
According to Tunisia’s official TAP news agency, several children suffering from breathing difficulties caused by toxic emissions were taken to Gabes University Hospital on Tuesday.
An AFP-cited local authority confirmed that over 120 individuals required hospital care, while an education sector representative told Diwan FM that numerous students were among those affected.
Beyond respiratory distress, some patients reported symptoms such as leg pain, numbness, and impaired mobility, as noted by Ghofrane Touati, deputy head of local defense.
Resident Tawfik Dhaifallah shared his concern, recounting how his younger sister experienced severe suffocation due to fumes emanating from the industrial zone, a recurring issue every few days.
This recent wave of hospital admissions reflects a growing health crisis linked to emissions from the Tunisian Chemical Group’s (CGT) phosphate facility. Despite a 2017 government commitment to phase out the plant, no substantial action has been taken to date.
Community Uprising
Long-standing grievances over environmental damage culminated on October 11, when local inhabitants protested by invading the chemical complex, demanding its immediate shutdown.
“Gabes has become a city plagued by illness; residents struggle to breathe, and many suffer from cancer or fragile bones due to relentless pollution,” stated protester Khaireddine Dbaya in an interview with Reuters.
The demonstration escalated into clashes as police deployed tear gas and pursued protesters through the streets. Some demonstrators attempted to set fire to a CGT administrative office, while others obstructed key roadways, according to local news outlets.
The Gabes municipal council expressed support for the protesters’ “legitimate” demands, advocating for the removal of polluting chemical plants, yet condemned acts of vandalism and violence.
The Tunisian League of Human Rights also endorsed the protests, urging the dismantling of contaminating units and the creation of a sustainable regional development plan to combat environmental degradation and health risks.
These events highlight increasing pressure on President Kais Saied’s administration, which is already contending with severe economic challenges, to reconcile public health concerns with the country’s reliance on phosphate production.
In response to the unrest, President Saied convened with the environment and energy ministers on Saturday, instructing them to dispatch teams to Gabes to conduct urgent repairs on the phosphate acid processing unit. He emphasized his vision for “a pollution-free, green Tunisia.”
Phosphate remains Tunisia’s most valuable natural resource, yet environmental advocates have long criticized the CGT for releasing harmful gaseous and solid waste directly into the surrounding environment.
Although authorities pledged in 2017 to dismantle the Gabes facility and replace it with a modern plant adhering to international environmental standards, progress has stalled.
Meanwhile, the government aims to boost phosphate output to 14 million tonnes by 2030, a fivefold increase, to meet growing global demand.
