Purchasing power has significantly declined over the past six months, says a trader. — Reuters
Khartoum: As Sudan’s economic crisis drags on, grocer Hassan Omar keeps busy cleaning packaged food items that have been gathering dust for months as his dwindling customer base make fewer purchases.
“People can no longer afford to buy all their needs,” Omar, 43, told AFP at his grocery store in the capital Khartoum.
“Purchasing power has significantly declined over the past six months,” he said, noting that his sales had plummeted from 500,000 Sudanese pounds (US$877 or RM3,721) to 200,000 pounds (US$350 or RM1,485) per day over that period.
His plight reflects Sudan’s spiralling economic crisis which has forced many households to tighten their belts as nearly one third of the 45 million population face acute hunger.
Some 65% of the population live below the poverty line, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations. The country’s economic troubles stem from decades of government mismanagement, armed conflict and international sanctions. — AFP
