Tunisia today has nearly 5,000 buildings classified as threatening ruin throughout the territory. This was indicated by Moncef Soudani, director of housing improvement at the Ministry of Equipment, during his intervention on Express FMWednesday November 5, 2025.
The official specified that the governorate of Tunis alone concentrates more than a thousand buildings, or around 1,100, due to its urban density and the age of the built fabric. The situation is also worrying in several other regions: around 550 buildings have been identified in the governorate of Mahdia, nearly 300 in Bizerte, 300 in Nabeul, and 175 in the governorate of Jendouba. Other governorates also have nearly a hundred buildings each.
These figures are constantly evolving, underlined Moncef Soudani, depending on the interventions carried out on the ground. Some owners carry out major renovation work, others opt for demolition then reconstruction, while new cases appear at the same time. The dynamic is therefore fluctuating and requires continuous administrative and technical monitoring.
In the municipality of Tunis alone, more than 500 observation operations were carried out by a tripartite commission made up of services from the Ministry of Equipment, the municipality and heritage services. These findings make it possible to assess the actual condition of buildings and guide intervention decisions, whether renovation or evacuation in a situation of imminent danger for residents or passers-by.
According to Moncef Soudani, the legal framework currently in force, in particular Law No. 33 of June 2024, governs the classification, formal notice and intervention procedure, while taking into account the primary responsibility of the owner in the maintenance of his property. In situations where the latter is materially or legally unable to act, the law allows the municipality to intervene in his place, particularly for evacuation and urgent work, with reimbursement terms set by agreement.
M.B.Z
