Empty shelves or unaffordable food: Tunisia's crisis deepens

People shopping at a supermarket in Tunis on Oct 10. Tunisians have suffered shortages of multiple staple foods in recent weeks, and costs of available products are soaring. Photo: AP

Tunisians have been hit with soaring food prices and shortages of basic staples in recent weeks, threatening to turn simmering discontent in the North African country – the cradle of the Arab Spring protests – into larger turmoil.

Sugar, vegetable oil, rice and even bottled water periodically disappear from supermarkets and grocery stores. People stand in line for hours for these food essentials that have long been subsidised and are now increasingly available in rations only. When they do appear on the shelves, many people cannot afford to pay the staggering price for them.