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The government has reportedly prohibited public officialsÌýfrom commenting on concerns about a wheat importÌýcrisisÌýseriously exacerbated by .

Russia and Ukraine together are the sourceÌýof 80 percentÌýof Tunisia’s , essential for bread and other staples.

Around 984,000 tons of wheat are imported annually from Ukraine to TunisiaÌýand 111,000 tons from Russia.

The government has instructed officials not toÌýgive publicÌýstatements or speakÌýto the media on the issue of supply chain issuesÌýdue to it beingÌýa "national security issue"Ìýwhich would "alarm citizens".

Tunisia is now ruled by an effective autocrat after suspending parliament, clamping down on the judiciary's powers, and sacked the government since last year's power grab.

The ministry of agriculture previously issued a statement on 25 February saying that it was able to secure enough durum wheat and barley to last until May 2022, and soft wheat until June 2022.

The ministry said that Tunisia's wheat reserves should not be affected by on Ukraine during this period.

The Russia-Ukraine crisis is likely to result in an increase in fuel, wheat and raw material prices for Tunisia, which imports much of its goods, adding pressure to itsÌý.

Mohamed Rajaibia, member of the Executive Office of the Tunisian Union of Agriculture and Fisheries confirmed that "the war in Ukraine will be reflected in Tunisia,"Ìýin a previous statement to Arabi 21.

The Covid-19 pandemic has also exacerbated Tunisia's already ailing economy, with debt soaring to over 90 percent of GDP, andÌýthe unemployment rate risingÌýfrom 15.1 to 18.4 percent.

Tunisia'sÌýeconomic downturn resulted in it turning to theÌýÌýfor help.

Several MENA countries, including and Lebanon who rely heavily on Russian and Ukrainian wheat imports, are faced with looming concerns over its wheat supplies as Moscow continues its aggression on Kyiv.

Syria also faces a similar problem, with the country already on the brink of starvation.