Power and water cuts, soaring prices in various parts of Sudan
People in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan are complaining about a significant increase in the price of bread last week. In northern Sudan, the provision of electricity will be suspended in a number of villages in El Mahas. The town of Mellit in North Darfur is suffering from water shortages for more than a month.
Waiting for water in El Mazmum, Sennar, June 2018 (RD)
People in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan are complaining about a significant increase in the price of bread last week. In northern Sudan, the provision of electricity will be suspended in a number of villages in El Mahas. The town of Mellit in North Darfur is suffering from water shortages for more than a month.
On Wednesday, the prices of bread rose again in Abu Jubeiha in South Kordofan.
A bakery owner told Radio Dabanga that he and his colleagues were forced to increase the bread prices because of the soaring flour prices in the country.
“We now pay SDG 820 ($ 29*) for a [100kg] sack of flour. Therefore, we had to reduce the number of loaves for SDG 10 from ten to eight,” he said.
Power supply
In the Northern State, a number of villages in the northern district of El Mahas will have to make do without electricity the coming days.
Sinmar Company which is responsible for the power supply to the villages announced last week that the electricity will be shut-off until the residents have paid additional fees. The costs for the provision of electricity have risen because of the newly indicative US Dollar rate set by the Central Bank of Sudan.
According to a resident of the area, the company's management has raised an official complaint against the people living in Jogal village because of the delay in payments.
He said that the power supply to the villages of Arduan, Maljab and Dafoui will also be suspended.
Water crisis
People living in the town of Mellit in North Darfur are suffering from a severe shortage of drinking water since Ramdan.
“We are now forced to buy water at the commercial market for SDG 30 a barrel,” a resident from Mellit complained.
He said that the people cannot afford to buy much water because of the sharply increased costs of living due to the skyrocketing fuel prices, and urged the authorities of Mellit locality and the North Darfur state government “to immediately act and permanently solve the water problem”.
* Based on the indicative US Dollar rate quoted by the Central Bank of Sudan
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