Sudan faces grim Ramadan as war fuels hunger crisis
People fetch water in Al- Kamilin which was retaken by the Sudanese, in Sudan's al-Jazira state on February 19, 2025. (AFP Photo)
As Ramadan began on Saturday, residents along Sudan’s eastern coast struggled to afford basic holiday staples while those in war-ravaged regions faced a grimmer reality of famine, displacement and severe shortages.
At markets in Port Sudan, a relative safe haven from the nearly two-year conflict, prices have skyrocketed beyond the reach of many families preparing for the holy Muslim month.
“We are struggling to afford Ramadan goods,” said resident Mahmoud Abd El Kader, lamenting the “extremely expensive” prices.
Sugar, an essential ingredient for the drinks and sweets traditionally served to break the daily fast, costs 2,400 Sudanese pounds ($1) per kilogram. Meat prices have soared even higher, with veal selling for 24,000 pounds and mutton for 28,000 pounds.
“Prices are too high, goods are too expensive, people cannot afford them,” Hassan Osman told AFP.
The economic strain is compounded by the plummeting value of the Sudanese pound, which has fallen from about 600 to the U.S. dollar to 2,400 on the parallel market. Inflation reached 145 percent in January, according to official figures.
While the average monthly salary hovers around $60, according to labor unions, many public workers in some states have gone without pay during the conflict. Others who do receive their wages have seen their purchasing power drastically diminished.
From economic hardship to starvation
The situation is far more dire in regions directly affected by the fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary group, which erupted in April 2023.
In parts of Darfur and Kordofan — focal points of the conflict — food shortages have progressed beyond mere price concerns to widespread unavailability.
“There is a severe shortage of drinking water and food. Many families have not eaten a proper meal in months,” said Omar Manago, a humanitarian worker in North Darfur.
The United Nations reports that famine has already taken hold in three displacement camps in North Darfur and some parts of the south. Without immediate intervention, five more areas are expected to face famine conditions by May.
Desperate residents in Darfur have resorted to eating peanut shells and tree leaves to survive. Meanwhile, humanitarian efforts face significant obstacles, with the World Food Programme suspending operations around one famine-hit camp in North Darfur on Wednesday due to escalating violence.
UN human rights chief Volker Turk issued a stark warning on Thursday: “Sudan is… on the verge of a further explosion into chaos, and at increasing risk of atrocity crimes and mass deaths from famine.”
Sudan conflict kills Ramadan traditions
The conflict, which has killed tens of thousands and displaced more than 12 million people, has also erased cherished Ramadan traditions.
“Before the war, volunteers used to line the streets, handing out iftar meals to those who could not make it home in time,” said Sabrine Zerouk, 30, from Omdurman on the outskirts of Khartoum. “That is no longer happening like before.”
In the capital Khartoum, where fighting has intensified in recent weeks, volunteers distribute what little aid they can gather, but it falls far short of meeting the overwhelming need.
The elaborate iftar meals traditionally shared with neighbors and those in need have become a memory for many Sudanese families.
“What I miss the most is breaking fast with family and friends,” said Mohamed Moussa, a 30-year-old doctor at one of the last functioning hospitals in Omdurman. “And the Ramadan decorations, too — these are among the things we’ve lost.”
In North Darfur, the physical infrastructure of commerce has been destroyed. “Most markets are now gone,” Manago said. “Everything has been burned down by the” paramilitary fighters.
As Ramadan continues, the contrast between economic hardship in safer regions and outright humanitarian disaster in conflict zones highlights the devastating toll of Sudan’s ongoing war.
