Khartoum cooking gas shortage: Warehouses witness long queues

A lack of cooking gas led to long lines of people waiting for a refill of their cooking gas cylinders at a warehouse in the Sudanese capital Khartoum during the weekend.

People queueing at El Shajara warehouse on Saturday told Radio Dabanga that they searched for cooking gas at gas stations and cooking gas agents for more than a week, to no avail.

The Workers’ Union of Cooking Gas Agents reported that it formed a joint mechanism for the distribution of cooking gas to warehouses and shops, especially in the residential districts.

The union said it expects a solution to the cooking gas shortages any time in the coming days, when gas refineries and distribution companies have continued their regular operation.

Sudan is in the teeth of a nationwide fuel shortage which has had a domino effect on agriculture and transport, especially in remote areas. The country’s logistics infrastructure is in disarray, which has led to basic commodities becoming scarce.

Drinking water

In addition, drinking water prices increased because of the lack of diesel for generators and water pumps. Already in February, a lack of fuel in Darfur, Kassala, and Kordofan’s states has caused large tracts of cultivated land to dry up in February, as irrigation pumps could not be operated.

The price of drinking water in Suakin, 60 km south of Port Sudan on the Red Sea coast, has increased by 100 per cent. Residents reported a scarcity of potable water in the coastal areas.

Last week, people in El Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, also reported a shortage of drinking water that has lasted for days.