Emergency cabinet session called after Tunisian snowstorms

Snow wave hitting several governorates in northwest Tunisia Tunis – Nabil Zaghdoud The Tunisian government held an emergency cabinet meeting on Monday attended by high profile officials including the Ministers of Interior, Defence, Education, and Social Affairs, to look into the consequences of the snowfall witnessed in several governorates in northwest Tunisia since the end of last week.
The cabinet decided to appoint government coordinators to follow-up with the situation and report to the Prime Minister.  
Tunisian media sources stated that security and military authorities were preparing to evacuate hundreds of citizens trapped on the road, due to the heavy snowfall.
The Ministry of Equipment and Housing said it employed all its material and human resources to intervene in the north-western governorates and areas covered by a thick layer of snow, which exceed 50cm in Ain Draham and Tabarka (on the Algerian border). The ministry added that it sent all necessary equipment to Jendouba, El-Kef, and Beja, which have been covered with snow since last Friday.
Heavy snow in the northern towns of Thala and Kef left transport paralysed due to blocked roads. In the town of Aïn Draham, in the governorate of Jendouba, snow reached 80 cm.
Several schools were forces to close in El-Kef, as road traffic was interrupted in the main streets due to large quantities of snow which is still falling for the third day in a row.
According to the weather forecast, the snowfall is expected to last for two more days.
The General Department of Public Defence said there were no fatalities. Official sources stated that two planes were sent to Ain Draham to transfer food supplies to the trapped residents.
A few blocked roads were reportedly re-opened, releasing a number of families who were stranded on the road.
Civil Defence sources had earlier announced that at least 200 cars and 100 families were trapped in the road in Ain Draham since Sunday evening. Some of the drivers had made SOS calls over the radio. One victim told Radio Mosaique that he feared for the lives of the many children who are trapped in the vehicles with their parents.
Citizens were also concerned about the possible lack of food and fuel, however, the Tunisian Ministry of Trade said that “such necessities are sufficiently available”.