The dollar touches 6 thousand pounds and ignites commodity prices in Sudanese Gedaref economy

The markets of a number of Sudanese states, including Gedaref State, witnessed a continuous rise in the prices of basic commodities, coinciding with a new decline in the value of the Sudanese pound against the dollar, which approached the barrier of 6 thousand pounds (about a dollar), which directly affected the cost of daily living for citizens.

This decline comes in light of the ongoing economic turmoil since the outbreak of war in Sudan, with the widening gap between income and prices, and the increasing reliance on imports to cover the local market’s needs for basic goods.

In a report prepared by journalist Abdul Rahman Jumaa for Al Jazeera, Amira Rajab said that the increases affected most daily needs, from sugar and fuel to transportation and gas tariffs, adding that this was accompanied by frequent power outages, which doubled the difficulty of living conditions, according to her description.

Ibrahim Muhammad stated that commodity prices witnessed rapid jumps, noting that the cost of some basic daily products, especially food and transportation, had risen significantly, which had a negative impact on the purchasing power of families.

For his part, trader Muhammad Ardeeb told Al Jazeera that the prices of all basic commodities, especially sugar and rice, recorded significant increases recently. He explained that the price of rice rose from 68 thousand pounds (about 11 dollars) to 115 thousand (about 19 dollars), while sugar rose from 170 thousand (about 28 dollars) to about 210 thousand pounds (about 35 dollars), indicating that these increases are related to changes in the exchange rate and costs. Import.

Additional burdens

In the same context, economic expert Walid Al-Nil explained that the continuation of the war since 2023 led to a decline in domestic production and exports, in exchange for an increase in reliance on imports, which increased pressure on foreign exchange, in light of the limited returns available to the Central Bank.

He added that this pressure contributed to the steady rise in the price of the dollar against the pound, which is directly reflected in the prices of imported goods and services, in addition to the rise in the cost of local duties and taxes, which adds additional burdens on the final consumer and increases living pressures.