Day: October 13, 2017

‘If the land isn’t worked, it decays’: Tunisia’s battle to keep the desert at bay

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With social tensions high and unemployment rife, agriculture offers Tunisians a vital lifeline. But as vast swaths of countryside turn to desert, the race is on to ensure there is land left to cultivate. The dusty Peugeot rumbles along the road, parallel to the ancient aqueduct that once delivered water from the springs of Zaghouan in Tunisia’s Dorsal mountains to ancient Carthage, about 57km north. However, the waters around Zaghouan have long run dry and, if action is not taken soon, so might much of the land around it. It…

World Olive Oil Production Figures for 2017 Show Mixed Results

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Global olive oil production will reach 2.854 million tons for the current crop year (September 2017 through August 2018), according to preliminary estimates from the International Olive Council — a 12-percent increase over the previous year’s 2.538 million-ton output. World production in 2017/18 is estimated at around 2.854t, which would be an increase of approximately 12 percent compared to the previous year.– International Olive Council The current season looks mediocre when compared with the average for the last five years (2.945 million tons) after heat waves and droughts affected some areas over…

IMF forecasts 2.3% growth for Tunisia in 2017, 3% in 2018

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Tunisia is set to reach 2.3% growth by the end of the year, in line with World Bank forecasts, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said. In its latest “World Economic Outlook” the IMF forecasts 3% growth for Tunisia in 2018 and a slight improvement in its foreign trade balance, with deficit falling from 8.7% in 2017 to 8.4% next year. In 2016 the foreign trade deficit was 9%. According to IMF estimates, this year unemployment is expected to drop to 13% from 14% last year and to 12% in…

Migrants: IOM voices concern over migration from Tunisia

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The mission chief in Tunisia of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Lorena Lando, on Thursday voiced sadness and concern for the deadly collision last Sunday between a Tunisian Navy ship and a vessel packed with migrants. ”IOM is following up on the fate of migrants who have been reported missing”, said Lando. ”We are saddened by this tragedy, which is affecting so many people and their families”. ”IOM is working to support and promote a safe and dignified migration”, she also said. ”We are worried by the rising phenomenon…

Ten Tunisian associations call on Parliament to complete formation of Transitional Justice Commission

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On Thursday, ten Tunisian non-governmental associations called on the Parliament to fill the vacancy in the structure of the Truth and Dignity Commission (constitutional, independent and concerned with transitional justice), in order to “complete the process and the success of transitional justice.” This came in the context of a joint statement distributed to journalists during a conference held by these associations today in the capital Tunis. The participating associations in this joint statement include the Tunisian Network for Transitional Justice, the “Tounissiat” association and the Tunisian Human Rights League. The…