On Wednesday, Libya’s Embassy in Tunisia announced that almost 100 trucks of basic food staples were being donated to Tunisia
According to Naim Achibi, a Spokesman for Libya’s Embassy, a convoy of 96 trucks carrying sugar, oil, wheat, and rice passed through the Ras Jedir crossing on Tuesday evening.
“This is a donation from the Government of National Unity (GNU), to help Tunisia tackle the acute shortages of these products,” Achibi added.
The operation is expected to bring a total of 170 truckloads of supplies from Tripoli.
Tunisia is suffering from a downturn that has worsened since its 2011 revolution, which was itself brought on by financial difficulties.
The Russian-Ukrainian war has also cast a strong shadow over the food situation in Tunisia. This comes at a time when the country is facing a shortage of liquidity due to an acute crisis in public finances.
In November, Libya’s GNU sent 30 million tons of fuel as aid to Tunisia, to address the shortage of gasoline supplies.
Tunisia, which is suffering from a stifling economic crisis, is desperately awaiting the approval of an IMF lending program worth $1.9 billion dollars. This is in exchange for a commitment to a package of reforms to revive public finances, and boost economic growth.
Notably, Libya has also been in chaos since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. The county has for years been split between rival administrations, each backed by rogue militias and foreign governments.
The current stalemate grew out of the failure to hold elections in December, and the refusal of Prime Minister Abdel-Hamid Dbaiba, who is leading the transitional government, to step down. In response, the country’s eastern-based Parliament appointed a rival Prime Minister, Fathi Bashagha, who has for months sought to install his government in Tripoli.
