A fishmonger covers fish kept inside a refrigerator with ice at a fish landing site in Tanji, on September 12, 2026, as prolonged electricity shortages make it difficult to preserve their catch. 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)

Sirah Darboe-Manneh, 31, a fishmonger and mother of six, cuts fish for sale at a fish landing site in Tanji, on September 12, 2026, as prolonged electricity shortages make it difficult for fishmongers to preserve their catch. Rising ice prices and prolonged electricity shortages have made it increasingly difficult for Sirah to preserve and sell her fish, leaving her worried about earning enough to pay her children's school fees as the new school term begins. 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)

Barber Kawsu cuts a customer's hair at his shop in Tanji, on September 12, 2026. Kawsu says frequent power cuts have reduced his working hours, as he relies on electricity to charge his clippers and to keep his small shop cool and lit. 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)

Vendors selling groundnuts sit at a roadside stall during a power outage in Westfield, on September 12, 2026, amid prolonged blackouts that have disrupted businesses and daily life across the country. 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)

A general view of a street during a power outage in Westfield, one of The Gambia's major commercial and industrial areas, on September 12, 2026, amid prolonged blackouts that have disrupted daily life across the country. 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)

Fishmongers rest on top of their refrigerators at a fish landing site in Tanji on September 12, 2026, as prolonged electricity shortages make it difficult to preserve their catch. 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)

A pedestrian stands on the side of the road as a taxi drives past her during a power outage in the Kanifing area on September 12, 2026, amid prolonged blackouts that have disrupted daily life across the country. 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)

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)