Fishmonger Faraba Fatty, 58, poses for a portrait at a fish landing site in Tanji, on September 12, 2026. Faraba, a father of thirteen, said prolonged electricity shortages have made it difficult to preserve and sell fish, while the price of ice has more than doubled. "This is where our livelihood is. Without electricity, we have a very bad life," he said. Since June the tiny west African nation has been hobbled by prolonged blackouts, which have reached a fever pitch in recent weeks, right at the peak of the hot season. Sometimes lasting 12 to 48 hours, the outages have plunged Gambians into steaming darkness at night, and have meant the loss of livelihood for a broad spectrum of society. Two nights of chaotic, spontaneous protests broke out last week as demonstrators called for the president's ouster. (Photo by MUHAMADOU BITTAYE / AFP via Getty Images)