Khartoum promises fuel supplies ‘soon’, water outages continue

Drinking water remains scarce in a number of camps and towns in Sudan because of stalled water pumps and water supply outages resulting from the lack of fuel. The fuel supply is about to be restored, according to Khartoum.

Zamzam camp for displaced people, close to El Fasher city, has seen a severe drinking water crisis. Displaced people told Radio Dabanga that ten out of the 21 water engines have stopped at the camp because of a lack of fuel.

A Sheikh in Zamzam told Radio Dabanga that the price of water has increased. In addition, the fuel shortage has made transportation difficult for people wanting to travel from the camp to El Fasher.

In the West Darfur capital El Geneina, the price of water has increased owing to the interruption of the water supply in city districts where power supply has fluctuated for nearly two weeks.

Residents have expressed concerns about the rising consumer good prices, water shortages and power cuts.

Observers told this station that Khartoum is planning to “silently implement another fuel prices increase”. They pointed to the government’s decision to increase the customs rate of the US Dollar from SDG 6.7 to SDG 18 in early January. The prices of basic commodities doubled, and in a number of cases tripled immediately.

Petroleum products delivery

Khartoum state Minister of Finance, Abdelrahman Dirar, has announced that petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel that arrived in Port Sudan are on their way to Khartoum.

The minister said after a coordination meeting between the ministries of finance, oil and electricity, and the Bank of Sudan yesterday, that the petroleum products are soon to be available at all fuel stations in Khartoum and other states.

Dirar added that the fines for fuel stations that manipulate the fuel supply to increase their tariffs, will increase, up to the withdrawal of their licenses. His ministry will also intensify its review on the distribution companies that carry out the gasoline and diesel distribution.

In light of the fuel shortages in Sudan, other ministers and government officials pointed fingers to fuel distribution companies as well. Bakheet Ahmed Abdallah, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, called on the fuel distribution companies to instruct the petrol stations not to tamper with the daily quotas.

Opposition parties such as the National Umma Party held President Omar Al Bashir's government responsible for the stifling fuel and cooking gas and as prices of consumer goods that have multiplied in all states.