Staple food prices rise by 50% in Sudan amid economic strife, floods and Covid

Millions of people in Sudan are facing hardship as the cost of food and transport soars amid economic turmoil in the country.

The cost of some staple foods has increased by 50% over the past few weeks, driving inflation to a record high of 167%, up from 144% in July.

The government declared a state of economic emergency last week after a sharp fall in currency. Reuters reported on Tuesday that the Sudanese pound had dropped to 234 against the dollar, from 140 the previous month.

Dozens of Sudanese currency dealers have been arrested in Khartoum over the past two weeks as the government attempts to crack down on the black market trade in dollars.

Hafiz Ibrahim, an economist based in Khartoum, said the price of sugar had risen from 100 to 150 Sudanese pounds (about £1.40 to £2.10) in the past two weeks, while a loaf of bread can cost two pounds in Khartoum and up to seven times more outside the capital. Beef has increased from 500 Sudanese pounds in June to 800 pounds this month.

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Some people are blaming the country’s predicament on poor government policies. In April, the government raised the minimum wage from 245 to 3,000 Sudanese pounds, the largest increase in salaries in the country’s history. But the move was “funded by printing more money, because there are no resources”, said Ibrahim.

The country is also grappling with recent devastating floods, which killed at least 99 people and affected more than half a million, as well as the Covid-19 pandemic. According to Reuters, the government is still waiting for the promised $400m financial package from donors that is to be administered by the World Bank.

Menas Ali, 35, returned to Sudan from Ethiopia in February, tempted back by the promise of a better life in her home country after the ousting of Omar al-Bashir last year. But the Arabic teacher and mother of one is going back to Addis Ababa because of the rising cost of living in Khartoum.

“I just can’t tell you how difficult the situation is in here. It is better for me to leave so that I will lighten the load for my family. When I am there [in Addis] I will be able to help them.”

Fatima Mohamed, 54, from Khartoum, said long queues outside bakeries are becoming the norm. “I sent my twins to the bakery to buy bread at 4am. They came back at 7am,” she said. “They are taking exams and need to get food before going to school.”

El Obaien, 38, who works at the ministry of health in Khartoum, said he’s eating less and has stopped going out as often due to the rise in transport costs.

“I reduced the meals that I have per day, and I stopped thinking about the quality of food. I just eat anything that would be cheap enough and I can afford,” he said. “I don’t go out except when necessary, and when I do so I try to do all the things on the same day just to reduce the expenses of the transportation.”

Muzamil Ali, 32, who works for an NGO in Khartoum, added: “It’s very common to see people fighting with the money collector or the driver over the price of transportation. Last night … I saw people fighting in the minibus with the driver over the price of the ride.”