Sudanese dying of hunger in Omdurman as food prices ‘rise daily’

People are reportedly dying of hunger in the old Omdurman neighbourhoods of El Mulazemin and Abrof. Prices of basic consumer goods in the markets of Omdurman witnessed a large increase last week, ranging from 33 to 50 per cent.

Sheikh El Amin Omar, leader of the Sudanese El Gadiriya El Mukashfi Sufi order,explained in a phone call from his compound, in the Wad Nubawi neighbourhood in old Omdurman, that people in El Mulazemin and Abrof are suffering from famine amidst a deteriorating security situation.

All the soup kitchens (takaya in Arabic) in old Omdurman have stopped working.The area of old Omdurman, regained by the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in February, is not very secure. “He who does not die by the fire of weapons, dies of famine”, he told Radio Dabanga.

“We are working hard to provide food and medicine, but the pressure is great. Those in the surrounding areas are also suffering, as almost all the people in Omdurman do. They lack money to buy food, which is hard to get anyhow.

Sheikh El Amin, as he is known in Sudan, has remained in his Sufi compound in old Omdurman, providing food to the hungry in the neighbourhood. In February, he was detained by Military Intelligence from his home, along with three volunteers.

“The prices are soaring, caused by the collapse of the economy, the rapid decline of the Sudanese Pound, and huge inflation,” he explained. “The situation is approaching the stage of a disaster.”

Over the past 15 months, the Sudanese Pound’s value plummeted by 350 percent, leading to soaring prices for commodities, especially fuel. The price of the US Dollar against the Sudanese Pound rose from SDG1,170 in February, to SDG2,100 on July 22.

The sheikh called on Sudanese abroad “to donate just one dollar. When 10 million people donate one dollar, it would be a huge amount that could make a huge difference.”

Already in February, experts warned of severe hunger in Omdurman. “After more than 15 months of fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the reserves of the people have entirely depleted.”, the sheikh stated.

As reported by Radio Dabanga last week, some areas of Ombadda in Omdurman are now completely uninhabitable due to a sanitary crisis and a total service collapse.

Rising costs

A resident of old Omdurman told Radio Dabanga that consumer goods prices continue to rise almost daily. “In the past two days, the increase became crazy, reaching between 33 and 50 per cent. This is beyond the capacity of the people who suffer from the lack of a source of income, with a poor security situation due to the war conditions”, he said.

“The price of a loaf of bread jumped from SDG100 to SDG125. We now pay SDG6,000 for a kilogramme of lentils or beans. A kilogramme of rice costs SDG4,000. A piece of bath soap costs SDG1,000.”

Many people accuse merchants of exploiting the war by doubling prices without reason, which exacerbates their suffering. “Some merchants double the prices of the goods already present in their shops before bringing in new items.”

The source added that “civilians recruited and armed by the army are robbing people day and night in the absence of the police. The police previously clashed with SAF soldiers plundering homes but were met with fierce violence, so they do not intervene anymore.”

He expressed his fear that “these gunmen and gangs of bandits will attack homes by force as hunger worsens. Every resident is currently seeking to arm themselves in self-defence. It no longer matters to the people whether the SAF or the RSF control the area in which they live, as both parties are committing the same violations and do not provide them with protection, and there is nobody to which they can submit a complaint.”