Fuel scarcity turning into ‘crisis’ in Nyala

Residents in Nyala, South Darfur are facing power outages and water shortages caused by fuel scarcity for the third consecutive day. Due to the scarcity of fuel and gasoline in particular, cars are reportedly lining up at petrol stations, sources informed Radio Dabanga on Wednesday, 19 December. Citizens and the National Consensus Forces coalition in South Darfur have expressed their anger about the constantly reoccurring fuel and water shortages and power outages on. They also expressed their anger about the high costs of living in Nyala and across all of Darfur’s five states. The price of a gallon of gasoline jumped to 35 Sudanese pounds in Nyala’s black market, as opposed to 17 pounds in petrol stations. Dr. Nour Al Sadig, leader of the communist party integrated in the NCF coalition, told Radio Dabanga that “the crisis has reached a boiling point”. Abdel Kareem Moussa Abdel Kareem, deputy governor of South Darfur, denied the occurrence of power outages in Nyala caused by the fuel shortage as well as the existence of water shortages. The deputy governor told Radio Dabanga that large quantities of fuel, an estimated 30 tankers, are due to arrive in Nyala ‘any moment’. He stressed that the government of South Darfur is doing the utmost to arrange regulated fuel deliverie by railway transport.Radio Dabanga file photo: cars lining up in front of petrol station – Nyala 2010