TUNIS, Tunisia — A fuel shortage in Tunisia has sparked public outrage and anger, amid conflicting statements by officials regarding the reasons behind the crisis, which stirred fears about the government’s inability to import energy supplies.

At one of the gas stations at the entrance to the capital, Tunis, Tawfiq al-Hamdi is standing in a long queue of vehicles, waiting for his turn to fill up his car.

“The last thing we need is a fuel shortage crisis. What makes the situation even worse is that this is coinciding with the start of the new school year, which increased pressure on gas stations as well as means of public transportation such as metros and buses,” Hamdi told Al-Monitor. 

Marwa al-Alawi denounced the situation as very dangerous. “We are witnessing this crisis at a very sensitive time as schools have just started,” she told Al-Monitor. “We are already dealing with a shortage of basic commodities in the markets, while the government is not making the slightest effort to remedy the situation and is not even providing an explanation for what is happening."