Poisonings increase due to gas emissions from the Gabès chemical complex

Following a sharp increase in hospital admissions due to poisoning, Tunisians have called on the authorities to take urgent measures to find a quick solution to this environmental problem, which began in 2017 and whose consequences for the ecosystem, according to climate experts, are close to being irreversible.

Located in the Ghannouch region, the Gabès chemical complex, which belongs to the Tunisian Chemical Group, has been treating phosphate mines since its foundation in the 1970s. Although the problem has worsened in recent weeks, the focus of the conflict lies in the location of the factory, as it is on a beach facing a unique oasis that is highly sensitive to climatic conditions.

The effects of pollution in Gabès are becoming increasingly evident, damaging palm plantations and soil fertility, affecting groundwater levels and causing respiratory problems among the inhabitants of the area. For example, the number of fish species has decreased from 93 to 50, and five of the six species of algae have disappeared.

The latest cases of poisoning were the result of a gas leak that affected students at the Ibn Rushd secondary school located near the plant. Among the Tunisians' demands is the construction of a hospital that meets basic standards of medical care for a community.

The movement, led by the civil society organisation Stop Pollution, has called for the demolition of the polluting facilities, as the complex dumps more than 14,000 tonnes of phosphoric gypsum into the Mediterranean Sea every year. In addition, Stop Pollution has proposed relocating the factory away from residential areas in order to protect the environment.

In the words of Stop Pollution coordinator Khaireddine Dabiya, the consequences of pollution have been present for years. "The oasis is over 2,500 years old, but it is being destroyed at an alarming rate. That is why we have been calling for its closure for more than eight years, and we will continue to fight to stop cases of poisoning in the region and prevent the oasis from losing its more than 180 natural springs, which are running out of water," he concluded in his speech at the demonstrations organised by his foundation.

Farmers' associations in the area joined the cause because of the consequences that the dust released from the treatments received by phosphate products has had on crops. Much of the agri-food industry is concentrated in the Ghannouch region, meaning that a large part of the population lives off agriculture and palm groves, so the impact on the land could lead to job losses. The gases emitted have damaged agricultural products such as peppers, pomegranates, dates, vegetables and legumes.

At the same time, the fishing sector has also raised its voice to denounce the serious problems it is facing, as the Gulf of Gabès is one of the country's main fishing grounds.

Leaving aside the economic impact, the problem of gases from the Gabès Industrial Complex has been declared a national health emergency, as pointed out by the vice-president of the Association for the Advancement of the Health Sector in Ghannouch, Nadia Bakhiti. ‘Diseases and epidemics are on the rise in the region, with more than 1,000 cases of hepatitis and 300 cases of respiratory problems, in addition to an increase in malformations and cancer,’ Bakhiti stressed.

Observers believe that air pollution levels in the Gabès area have exceeded the limits set by the World Health Organisation. Harmful gases such as sulphur dioxide and ammonia are causing persistent respiratory problems in the population, especially in children and the elderly.

World Health Organisation data indicate that this results in the deaths of nearly 6,000 people each year.