Bread shortage threatens to plunge more Sudanese into hunger

Sudan's unending war has plunged an estimated 20 million people into severe food insecurity, with soaring wheat prices and fuel shortages driving up the cost of bread. Sawsan Mahmoud, a 44-year-old mother of three, now spends nearly her entire salary on bread, having reduced her family's consumption to just one meal a day. Bakeries in the capital, Khartoum, have closed due to these rising costs and fuel shortages.

Mohammed al-Fateh, a baker, lamented the absence of flour in the market, saying it's impossible to obtain it even after visiting distribution centers for hours. Similarly, Mutawakil Ahmed Babiker, who owns a bakery in Khartoum's Al-Azhari neighbourhood, cited power cuts forcing him to purchase generators, making it impossible to sustain his business.

Across Khartoum and eastern Sudan, widespread power outages have led to a renewed reliance on public kitchens for free meals. However, these kitchens are struggling due to the same factors - power cuts and soaring prices - leaving thousands of families without dependable access to food.

Poverty rates in Sudan have reached 80%, and inflation has surged to 99% last year, making it increasingly difficult for people to afford even basic necessities. The country's reliance on wheat imports makes it particularly vulnerable to the weakening currency, which has lost about 25% of its value against the dollar over the past month.

The ongoing conflict has divided Sudan into rival zones of influence, with the army controlling Khartoum and central and eastern regions, while the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) hold the western Darfur region and parts of the south. This division has further exacerbated the situation, with more than 200,000 people in South Kordofan and North Darfur already experiencing famine.