East Darfur fuel and food prices rising

Bus ticket prices are on the rise in East Darfur because of the expensive fuel. Corn and flour prices are rising, too, affecting the daily lives of the residents.

Bus ticket prices are on the rise in East Darfur because of the expensive fuel. Corn and flour prices are rising, too, affecting the daily lives of the residents.

A resident in Ed Daein, the capital of East Darfur, told Radio Dabanga that the ticket price from Khartoum to Ed Daein has amounted to SDG350 ($57) per passenger, while a ticket price in the localities has gone up to SDG50 ($8.15).

The price of a sack of corn has sky-rocketed to SDG450 ($73.50), he said. The government distributes limited flour quotes to the bakers in the state that does not meet the consumption standard of bread in Ed Daein, the listener added.

On 25 January, the Sudanese government announced a rise of fuel prices, including a threefold increase in the price of cooking gas, raising the price of cylinders from SDG25 to SDG75 ($12.25). The soaring prices for gas since the price adjustment, and basic commidities have caused many people in Sudan to struggle to obtain food. Long waiting queues in front of bakeries, which now sell smaller pieces of loaves for the same price, are not uncommon.