Residents of Damazin, the capital of Sudan’s Blue Nile region, have reported sharp increases in the prices of basic commodities and public transport fares, as mounting economic pressures and deteriorating security conditions compound hardships faced by the city’s population.
The increases come amid a recent rise in drone attacks on the city.
According to inhabitants, the latest price hikes have worsened living conditions, with the cost of food and fuel rising alongside growing difficulties in accessing essential services and humanitarian assistance.
Mohamed Ahmed, a resident of the Al-Zuhour neighbourhood, said living conditions had become increasingly difficult.
“Life has become expensive and exhausting,” he added.
Ahmed said the price of a kilogram of sugar had risen to around 7,000 Sudanese pounds, from between 5,000 and 6,000 pounds previously. The price of a kilogram of flour has also increased to around 6,500 pounds.
“Cooking oil was selling for around 12,000 pounds, while a tin of tomato paste had risen to 12,000 pounds from approximately 7,000 pounds. The price of table salt had also increased from about 1,000 pounds to 3,000 pounds,” Ahmed lamented. “Meat prices have risen as well, with a quarter-kilogram of mutton selling for around 20,000 pounds and the same quantity of beef costing approximately 10,000 pounds. The smallest quantity of onions available was selling for around 3,000 pounds.”
“A gallon of petrol has risen from approximately 32,000 pounds to 38,000 pounds, while a gallon of diesel has reached around 45,000 pounds,” he added.
Ahmed described the increases as “excessive” and said they were placing an additional burden on residents.
Amna Ali, a displaced woman living in the Al-Radif neighborhood in the northern part of the city, said life in Damazin has become “difficult in terms of living conditions,” pointing to steep increases in food prices.
“A sack of flour has risen to around 120,000 pounds from approximately 108,000 pounds previously, while four loaves of bread are selling for around 1,000 pounds,” she bemoaned. “The situation has become bad and deplorable. Transportation has also become increasingly difficult, and everything has become exhausting.”
Ali further described deteriorating humanitarian conditions, saying many residents are displaced from their homes and that humanitarian assistance was not reaching them adequately.
“Medicine prices have shot up while diseases are spreading,” she said. “And all this is happening while insecurity is worsening due to drone attacks in recent weeks.”
Meanwhile, Suleiman Hassan, a trader in the city’s main market, attributed rising commodity prices to the depreciation of the local currency against the US dollar, which he said had approached 8,000 Sudanese pounds to the dollar.
The price increases come amid continuing ground clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) on one hand and the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North alliance known as the “Founding Alliance,” on the other hand, in the Al-Kurmuk and Geissan localities of Blue Nile State. The fighting began several months ago.
The escalation has coincided with increased drone warfare targeting Damazin in recent weeks, further heightening security concerns and adding to the economic pressures residents face.
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