High prices for fuel, transport in Sudan

The Sudanese capital Khartoum, cities and villages in Sudan have witnessed a fuel crisis. In East Darfur, a sudden shortage of vehicles has caused pricing issues in public transport.

People face difficulties in obtaining fuel, a resident in Omdurman told Radio Dabanga. There are long queues of vehicles in front of fuel stations. Also in eastern Sudan’s Kassala state, a fuel shortage has affected people in New Halfa for four weeks.

In Nyala, the capital of South Darfur, the price of fuel has risen to more than SDG 40 for a gallon. Tariffs for transport were raised to three Pounds.

“Also prices for meat, millet and other consumer goods have increased,” a resident said. He described the living situation in the city as intolerable with people being unable to afford basic items.

Transport prices

Residents of East Darfur also complained of a severe crisis in public transport which has lasted for a week. The tariff on public transport has risen mainly because of the collection of unlicensed vehicles in a campaign which was recently rolled out by the government, seizing illegally owned vehicles and weapons from civilians.

On Sunday, people in Ed Daein told Radio Dabanga that the authorities have collected thousands of vehicles from Daleiba, south of Ed Daein market. As a result ticket prices increased to SDG 240 while earlier costing 120 Pounds.

“It is difficult to find vehicles that can drive people to other localities,” a resident complained.

Shortages

Sudanese states have witnessed medicine and flour shortages during the past months. Meanwhile the value of the Sudanese Pound has continued to fall against the US Dollar, with the greenback now trading at 32 Pounds on the Khartoum parallel market.

The collapse of the Sudanese Pound set in motion a series of measures including the government's attempt to combat the plummeting rate of the national currency at the black market by raising the customs rate of the US Dollar to SDG 18 last month. The result was that the prices of the main consumer goods doubled or even tripled in the first week of January.