Trucks are parked along the street during a truckers’ protest over high fuel prices in Naples, Italy, on Oct. 20, 2026. The protest has disrupted travel and caused widespread food and fuel shortages. (Alessandro Garofalo/AP)
NAPLES, Italy — A U.S. Navy base in Italy authorized remote work for personnel this week to mitigate the impacts of a regional trucking protest that has disrupted travel and caused widespread food and fuel shortages.
Tenant commands at Naval Support Activity Naples, including U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. 6th Fleet, also are implementing similar contingency measures based on their respective operational requirements, the base said in a statement Wednesday.
Those measures are in place for the rest of the week, and base leadership will decide Friday whether they should be extended into next week, according to the statement.
“NSA Naples remains fully mission capable and continues supporting its mission partners while coordinating with service providers to minimize disruptions to base services,” base officials said. They added that the safety and well-being of service members, civilians, Italian partners and families remain the highest priority.
At issue are ongoing freight and trucking protests across much of southern Italy over rising fuel and other operating costs and demands for more government support. The disruptions have severely hampered transportation and supply chain networks. In Naples, protesters have blocked freeways and targeted port facilities, obstructing cargo transport and local island ferries.
Truck blockades have caused miles-long gridlock on roads, resulting in lengthy commutes and igniting panic-buying at local grocery stores and gas stations, leaving shelves and fuel tanks empty.
The protests began late last week in southern Italy, including the regions of Puglia and Sicily, and spread to Campania over the weekend. Naples is in Campania.
On Wednesday, organizers suspended the strikes in Sicily and the region of Calabria after receiving government assurances they would have input on road transport discussions, the Italian news agency Ansa reported Thursday.
Sicily is home to Naval Air Station Sigonella near the city of Catania. The base issued a traffic advisory Wednesday, citing ongoing transportation protests.
Shoppers wait in a checkout lane at the Naval Support Activity Naples commissary on Oct. 21, 2026. A regional trucking strike against high diesel and other operational costs has caused widespread disruption in southern Italy, particularly in Naples, resulting in fuel and food shortages. (Courtesy photo/Stevye Jefferson)
At the same time, Italian state police in the Naples area began identifying protesters and criminally charging some with obstructing roads. Naples officials also were working with law enforcement to establish essential supply corridors and clear access to the city’s port and area distribution centers to allow for delivery of food and other necessities, according to Ansa.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will convene a cabinet meeting Thursday to review emergency legislation designed to support trucking and release funding to help the transportation and agricultural sectors, the Italian newspaper La Repubblica reported Wednesday.
Meanwhile, NSA Naples warned community members Wednesday of traffic jams stretching nearly four miles in some cases and potential delays in base shuttle service, among other disruptions.
The base also reminded its community to follow State Department guidelines, including avoiding demonstrations, monitoring local conditions, and adjusting travel plans as needed.
The NSA Naples hospital and clinic would “continue normal operations, with all medical services and appointments proceeding as scheduled,” officials said in a Facebook post.
The base had sufficient fuel for shuttle buses with backup transportation available should contracted services experience disruptions. Aviation fuel also was available, although a regional advisory had requested that inbound aircraft minimize local refueling when feasible, officials said.
At the base commissary, shoppers faced long checkout lines. Shelves that normally held fresh chicken, beef and other meats were empty, said Stevye Jefferson, a military spouse who visited the facility Wednesday afternoon.
Later in the day, the commissary’s produce and frozen food sections were sparse and other items such as toilet paper were running low, other shoppers reported.
“I would definitely say that people were fearful of what’s going on and were trying their best to kind of stock up to prepare for the worst,” Jefferson said.
The Navy Exchange and commissary had experienced some delivery delays but had sufficient inventory to maintain normal operations, the base said in the statement.
While a community harvest festival planned for Saturday has been cancelled, there were minimal disruptions to Morale, Welfare and Recreation services, NSA Naples said.
Officials added that they would continue to monitor supply conditions and take necessary measures as needed to prevent shortages and maintain necessary services.
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