Flour, gas shortage: Khartoum bakeries fail to meet bread demand

The bread crisis continues across the Sudanese capital of Khartoum due to lack of flour, while the ongoing cooking gas gas and transportation crisis causing delays in the capital and a number of the country’s states.

An employee told Radio Dabanga said Khartoum’s bakeries witnessed long queues to buy bread in the morning to midday while the basic commodity was no longer available in the evening. People in Khartoum expressed concern about the increase in the bread price, from  five to three pieces for five Pounds.

Callers from Khartoum protested the continuation of the gas crisis without any solution at sight.

Gas shortage

A caller told Radio Dabanga that he has not been able to fill his gas cylinder for weeks, referring to the long rows in front of gas dealers in neighbourhoods and public squares. He explained that the prices of gas cylinders on the black market ranged from SDG 250 (*$8.88) to SDG 300 ($10.66).

The fuel crisis in Khartoum continued, leading to a severe disruption of transportation in the capital, especially in the morning, when workers went to work sites and in the afternoon when they returned from work

An employee told Dabanga that the peripheral areas of Omdurman and Khartoum North are the most affected areas due to the suspension of public vehicles in the transportation for long hours in front of pumps for fuel.

Kosti

In Kosti, White Nile state, callers said that the rows in front of the bakeries returned again with the scarcity of bread, and stressed that gas scarcity has been continuous since the end of Ramadan.

They said that the price of a gas cylinder in the black market amounted to SDG 270 ($9.60). The owners of the local bakery lack flour, pointing out that there are expectations to increase the flour price to SDG 200 ($7.10) a 10kg sack.

They explained that the current price of flour ranges between SDG 550 ($20) and SDG 650 ($24) a sack, without transport costs.

South Darfur

The bread, millet, lamb, and beef prices are also soaring in Nyala, capital of South Darfur.

An employee in Nyala told Radio Dabanga that the price of a gallon of diesel reached SDG 200 ($7.10) and petrol SDG 300 ($10.66) on the black market and explained that a pound of sugar reached SDG 14 ($0.50).

Central Darfur

In Central Darfur, the price of kilo meat soared in Nierteti to SDG 150 ($5.30).

In the national capital Khartoum markets have witnessed a significant increase in the prices of consumer goods, especially soap, oil, tea, beans, flour and sauces, and most of the companies have stopped selling.

* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan (CBoS)