Tue Oct 14 19:33:01 UTC 2025: ## News Article: Pollution Crisis Grips Tunisian City as Hospitalizations Surge
**Gabes, Tunisia** – Over 120 people in the southern Tunisian city of Gabes have been hospitalized this week with severe respiratory problems, sparking renewed protests and outrage over pollution emanating from a nearby phosphate processing plant operated by the Tunisian Chemical Group (CGT). Residents say fumes from the facility are to blame for the surge in respiratory distress, as well as other health issues like leg pain and loss of mobility.
Local officials confirmed the alarming number of hospitalizations, with reports indicating that dozens of children are among those seeking medical attention. Witnesses describe a city struggling to breathe, with one resident stating his sister was “suffocating because of the fumes.”
The CGT’s Gabes facility has been a source of contention for years, with residents long complaining of its environmental impact. Promises to dismantle the plant and replace it with a modern, environmentally friendly facility were made in 2017, but have yet to be fulfilled.
Frustration boiled over earlier this month when protesters stormed the complex, demanding its immediate closure. The demonstration turned violent, with police using tear gas and some protesters reportedly attempting to set fire to a CGT office.
The Gabes local council and the Tunisian League of Human Rights have voiced support for the protesters’ demands, calling for the dismantling of the polluting plants. The crisis puts increasing pressure on President Kais Saied’s government, which is already battling a severe economic crisis, to reconcile public health concerns with the economic importance of phosphate, Tunisia’s most valuable natural resource.
In response to the mounting pressure, President Saied has ordered ministers to dispatch delegations to Gabes to assess the situation and implement necessary repairs. However, activists remain skeptical, citing years of unfulfilled promises and the government’s ambitious plans to significantly increase phosphate production by 2030. The future of the Gabes facility, and the health of its residents, hangs in the balance.
First Piper 