In Tunisia, more and more beaches are closed to swimming due to pollution

It's 10 a.m., midweek, and July is coming to an end. So is the vacation of Faïza, 42, a secretary at a household appliance company and mother of two middle school students aged 11 and 14. A resident of Radès, a southern suburb of Tunis, she has come by car with her children, her sister Houda, and two of her nephews to spend part of the day on the beach at La Goulette, east of the capital.

Because the water near her home has been unfit for swimming for decades: industrial pollution and massive sewage discharges have condemned this part of the coastline. For years, residents of Greater Tunis have therefore turned to beaches further north – notably that of La Goulette.

Sitting on plastic chairs under a parasol, Faïza and Houda watch their children play ball by the water. That day, the sea is calm, and a light breeze refreshes the atmosphere. What the two women don't know is that the place where they have settled is on the list of 28 beaches now prohibited for swimming. Published at the end of June by the Ministry of Health, this list lists beaches declared unfit for swimming due to contamination by sewage and the presence of bacteria such as streptococcus or salmonella that can cause skin infections, respiratory illnesses, or gastrointestinal problems.

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