Dawn to dusk queues for bread, fuel, cash the norm in Sudan

The continued bread, fuel, and cash crisis has caused prices in the Sudanese capital Khartoum and the states to rise even further, putting basic commodities out of reach of many.

Residents from Khartoum told Radio Dabanga that the crisis has reached a degree beyond their affordability, pointing to the growing lines in front of banks because of the liquidity crisis.

They explained that the authorities have deployed police forces in all gatherings places of Khartoum state in anticipation of the outbreak of protests.

Red Sea state

The Red Sea state in eastern Sudan has been experiencing bread, fuel and liquidity crisis for days.

Journalist Osman Hashim told Radio Dabanga that the lines in front of bakeries in the towns have become familiar amid the lack of bread in the evening.

He explained that the bakeries have identified a limited number of loaves per person because of the lack of flour.

He pointed to the continued queues in front of fuel stations for long periods because of the shortage of diesel.

Residents of Tokar said they reserve their places in the lines with stones, bricks, and bags since early morning.

Port Sudan

Port Sudan port workers have threatened to strike if they do not receive their dues by the end of this week.

A number of port workers told Radio Dabanga that their November salaries and financial dues were overdue due to lack of liquidity.

They pointed out that a number of dock workers were injured at Omdurman National Bank due to the stampede.

Cash shortage

The banks in El Gezira in central Sudan have cut the daily withdraw limit of cash to SDG 200 ($4.20*) due to the worsening liquidity crisis.

Officials told Radio Dabanga that most of the banks operate for limited periods because they are fed with limited amounts of money.

Teachers in El Gezira have demanded of the payment of salaries in cash rather than being deposited in their bank accounts, explaining that they find it very difficult to withdraw for being busy all day long in schools and not being able to stand in lines for long periods.

South Darfur

Nyala in South Darfur is experiencing a severe bread, fuel and transportation crisis amid surge of prices of essential goods in the market.

On Sunday, a housewife residing El Wadi district in Nyala told Radio Dabanga that the price of a piece of bread has risen to three Pounds outside the crowded bakeries and two and half Pounds directly from the bakery.

She said price of a pound of sugar has risen to SDG 37, a sack of charcoal between SDG 380 to SDG 400.

An employee residing at El Geer district in Nyala said that the lack of fuel has caused a crisis in the transportation in Nyala, forcing people to overcrowd in the transport stations for long hours until late in the evening.

North Darfur

El Fasher in North Darfur is also witnessing an ongoing transport crisis as a result of the ongoing fuel.

Different transport stations are lacking public transport amid rise of transportation tariff to different stations in the city.

Long queues of vehicles are seen in front of the fuel stations.

Residents of El Fasher have appealed to the state government to intervene and deal with the situation immediately.

* All SDG currency conversions are approximate based on the daily US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)