The chemical complex in Gabès releases gas at night
The city of Gabès on Monday night 2 November 2026 recorded the emission of dense amounts of chemically-smelling gases from the chemical complex's facilities, spreading into the city sky and its neighbouring residential areas. This proliferation is causing concern about the direct effects of gases on population health, at a time when the nature and exact concentrations of leaked substances or the extent of their health impact are not yet clear. The incident follows a series of repeated leaks in September and October 2025, in which more than 40 strangulation cases were recorded among students and residents of the Peace Belt region in late September 2025 who were subsequently taken to hospital for treatment. This industrial situation is linked to the ongoing activity of the complex since its establishment in 1972 to process phosphates, produce fertilizers and chemical derivatives, and its accompanying continuous secretions of sulfur dioxide and ammonia gases, as well as the discharge of millions of tons of phosphogips into seawater.
Popular and civil mobilization demands to reduce industrial pollution in Gabès are based on the requirements of Section 47 of the 2022 Constitution, which recognises the right of citizens to a healthy and balanced environment and requires the state to provide means to eliminate pollution. The people also adhere to a government decision dating back to 2017 that officially dismantles polluted industrial units and moves them outside urban areas, a decision that has not yet found its way into practical application.
The official measures announced are part of a government program that includes six environmental projects to rehabilitate complex units and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, which will be completed between late 2025 and 2026. Joint technical committees, under the supervision of the Ministry of Processing and Air Authorities, monitor the compliance of manufacturing units with environmental standards and evaluate available technical alternatives for the development of existing production facilities.
