While the water crisis that shook the cities of Tan Tan and Guelmim during the great heatwave at the beginning of the month of Ramadan was able to find a partial solution, in Laayoune, the shortage persists and the inhabitants are only resisting thanks to water tanks.

Fatma, a mother living in the Al Ouahda 1 neighbourhood, told us: "Every day that God makes, I have to get up at dawn to try to find a water tank to fill my barrel. If most of the neighbours have reserves that can hold up to 1 tonne of water covering their needs for 2 to 3 days, I do not have this possibility, with my small 100-litre drum." Fatma's case is not unique. There are thousands of them living in this situation which has only been worsening for several months, despite the exorbitant bills they pay to the ONEP services.

The problem had been raised during a session of the municipal council and the question had been put to the regional director of ONEP. The latter had maintained that this problem is due to the great expansion and the demographic explosion that the city has experienced in recent years, but that the Office's management is aware of it and that measures had been taken to solve it during the year. That was in 2011. During the May 2012 session, the director had stressed that the problem would be solved with the restoration and extension of the desalination unit in 2013. This unit is, according to him, planned to allow a flow of 35,000m3 per day, instead of the 13,000m3 today. He had indicated that the quantity of 35,000m3 planned would be well beyond the city's needs. This would, indeed, be a satisfactory solution for everyone, unless ONEP changes its policy in the medium term, wonders a municipal councillor, affected by the current situation that his fellow citizens are experiencing.

In Tan Tan and Guelmim, the partial solution has eased tensions, but in Laayoune, will we know how to curb a crisis that will not fail to be politicised like all the social problems that this city is experiencing?