An-Nuhud: Skyrocketing prices leave citizens and merchants helpless
Mohammed Mustafa did not expect the shelves of his shop to be devoid of essential goods—goods his business relies on to survive. This scarcity is not due to a shortage in the city of An-Nuhud’s market, but because the prices have soared to a level that makes it impossible for him to continue purchasing them. This threatens the closure of his shop.
Mustafa, a trader in An-Nuhud market, said: “For over a week now, essential goods like onions, lentils, coffee, and flour have been absent from my shop because their prices have become astronomical.” He added, while speaking to an “Atar” correspondent: “This isn’t just my situation; many other traders are also unable to buy them, as prices change three or four times a day.”
The price of a sack of onions in An-Nuhud has reached 400,000 SDG, compared to 150,000 SDG at the end of last August. Meanwhile, a 20-kilogram sack of lentils now costs 90,000 SDG, up from 60,000 SDG, and a sack of coffee has reached one million SDG, an increase of about 40 per cent.
Since the outbreak of the war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) on April 15, 2023, An-Nuhud, one of the major cities in West Kordofan State, has been a significant commercial hub due to its strategic location at the intersection of important trade routes. However, the war has stripped it of this status. The city once received trucks from Atbara in River Nile State, Ad-Dabba in Northern State, Al-Mazrub, and El-Obeid in North Kordofan, as well as from Libya via the triangle area on the Sudanese-Libyan border and from South Sudan through Al-Na’am to Al-Meiram and Al-Fula. But with the RSF controlling some of these roads, An-Nuhud has lost supplies from El-Obeid, South Sudan, and other regions.
For about two weeks now, prices in An-Nuhud market have been skyrocketing daily, making it difficult for both traders and citizens to keep up. This is due in part to armed robbery gangs operating along some roads, and more recently, valleys blocking truck routes due to flooding from heavy rains in the Kordofan regions. According to truck owners, Wadi Al-Malik and Wadi Umm Badir have left dozens of trucks stranded.
According to trader Mohammed Mustafa, citizens’ inability to purchase goods has caused some retail traders to stop selling essential items because the prices have become unrealistic.
The price hikes have not been limited to consumer goods but have also affected many services. Last month, reports surfaced about armed robbery gangs along fuel truck routes, causing a rise in fuel prices. This led to a 30 per cent increase in public transportation fares and an increase in bread prices, reaching 300 SDG per loaf in some bakeries. Water prices also rose, with a barrel of water costing 4,000 SDG, up from 1,500 SDG. Medicine prices have increased by an average of 30 per cent.
Since the residents of An-Nuhud rely mainly on millet and sorghum for their food, their complaints about the price hikes have been particularly loud. The price of a sack of millet reached 300,000 SDG, while a sack of sorghum (fitrīta) rose to 280,000 SDG. Notably, the price of a sack of sorghum did not exceed 90,000 SDG before the April 15 war.
Trader Daw Al-Bayt Mohammed attributed the exorbitant price hikes to the greed of wholesale traders who exploit rumors about the security situation and the delays in truck arrivals caused by the rainy season. Speaking to an “Atar” he said: “It doesn’t make sense for the price of a measure of millet to rise from 10,000 SDG to 12,000 SDG within hours, especially since millet and sorghum are already in stores and did not arrive by truck.”
In the face of this unprecedented wave of price hikes, citizens fear an increase in armed robbery activity on the roads, which could further escalate the security chaos that has plagued the region since the war broke out between the SAF and RSF last April.
Shandi: Heavy rainfall leaves the city with billion-pound losses in sorghum market
Heavy rains in August, measuring 120 millimeters, devastated the new sorghum market in the city of Shandi. The downpour caused severe flooding, leading to significant losses for traders, most of whom are displaced. Shops and goods were completely submerged.
The market, built with temporary materials after many traders fled to Shandi following the outbreak of war, was located in the southern part of the city, on low-lying land and an old floodplain, according to locals who spoke to “Atar.”
Last year, local authorities relocated a market for imported goods and foodstuffs from within the city to the Al-Uboor area at the entrance to Shandi, near Al-Zarra Hospital (cancer hospital), despite warnings. Temporary permits were issued for shops built with weak materials such as wood, iron pipes, plastic covers, and sacks.
In the span of a year, the market expanded, incorporating travel buses and a large onion market—one of Shandi’s signature products. Additionally, car repair shops and mechanics, displaced from Khartoum and other cities, relocated to Al-Uboor. The area became crowded with displaced people heading north to Atbara, Port Sudan, and even beyond Sudan, causing traffic congestion.
Mohammed Al-Wasila, a displaced trader from Khartoum, estimated the losses in the billions of Sudanese pounds, with tens of tons of goods destroyed. Speaking to “Atar,” he said that due to the high rental prices, which amount to billions in the main market, traders were forced to relocate to the sorghum market, paying an “eviction fee.” Despite warnings about the area being flood-prone, the intensity of the rains took them by surprise. Although tarps were available, they were insufficient to protect the goods.
“We lost a lot of goods, and we now have to move what remains to warehouses in the city until the authorities find solutions for water drainage,” Al-Wasila added.
Another trader revealed that more than half of the market’s capital was wiped out by the floods. He emphasized that the market not only served Shandi but was also a key hub for areas east of the Nile, Bahri, and Omdurman following the war. He blamed the local administration for failing to build drainage systems and protective embankments after establishing the market.
Engineer Anwar Abdulrahman told “Atar” that the authorities did not consider engineering requirements when planning the market, nor did they implement water drainage systems or ditches. Additionally, they failed to ensure that shops were built with durable materials to withstand the rain and wind, opting instead to issue temporary permits for a site unsuitable for building.
Since the rainy season began, the area has also suffered from deteriorating health and environmental conditions. The lack of sanitation facilities has led to stagnant pools of water, a heavy fly infestation, and a significant decline in public health awareness. The authorities have failed to combat the spread of flies, provide health services, or launch awareness campaigns about disease risks during the rainy season.
More than 20 days have passed, and the area remains submerged. The market is operating at only 25 per cent capacity, with traders moving their remaining goods to higher ground along the sides of the asphalt road, without any intervention from local authorities. Despite this, authorities continue to collect taxes without providing future protection.
Abu Shouk Camp: RSF shelling kills 25 displaced including women and children
Twenty-five displaced people, including women and children, were killed on Monday, August 26, in Abu Shouk camp, North Darfur state, due to artillery shelling by the RSF. The RSF has been besieging the nearby city of Al-Fashir for more than three months. Around 50 others were injured in the attack, some critically, according to witnesses at the camp, as reported by *Atar*.
Unofficial estimates suggest that the number of displaced people in Abu Shouk camp, established in 2003, ranges between 250,000 and 350,000. Ismail Khareef, a member of the camp’s coordination committee, stated that the RSF deliberately targeted the camp despite the absence of any military installations or armed individuals within it.
According to Ismail, the camp has been attacked three times with different types of artillery from a nearby location, causing casualties each time. However, the latest attack was the most violent, targeting the camp’s main market, health centre, and several neighborhoods within the overcrowded area.
The camp has recently seen an influx of residents from the nearby Al-Salam camp, located east of Al-Fashir in RSF-controlled territory, as well as people fleeing the city and surrounding villages due to the ongoing fighting between the SAF and RSF.
Ibrahim Ishaq—an alias for security reasons—told *Atar* that the RSF had shelled Al-Salam camp until its residents fled, dispersing between Abu Shouk, Zamzam camp, and other areas like Jabal Marra and Tawila, under the control of movements led by Abdul Wahid Mohammed Nour and Al-Tahir Hajar.
Camp residents have voiced their concerns about severe shortages of services and medical care. Dr. Mohammed Ahmed, the medical director of the Integrated Reproductive Health Center, which focuses on maternal health, said the centre receives two to four cases of miscarriage daily. He attributes this to a lack of healthcare, hunger, and the strenuous labor pregnant women perform to earn money for food. The centre provides primary care for pregnant women and displaced children.
On Tuesday, the Abu Shouk Camp Emergency Committee released a statement accusing the RSF of deliberately shelling the camp in a systematic attempt to kill and further displace the population.
The committee called on the United Nations, the African Union, human rights organizations, and civil society groups to launch an immediate investigation and condemn the RSF for repeatedly targeting displaced civilians.
Several camp residents expressed their suffering to *Atar*, describing the continuous shelling by the RSF and the impact of crossfire between warring sides, which has claimed the lives of numerous displaced people.
Residents also complained that the ongoing siege has led to severe hunger, preventing them from engaging in the informal jobs they relied on for their daily sustenance, especially since the flow of relief and food aid has been cut off.
Regional and international organisations have declared a famine in Zamzam camp, south of Al-Fashir. In February, Doctors Without Borders reported that a child was dying every two hours in the camp.
On June 13, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding that the RSF lift its siege on Al-Fashir, cease fighting in and around the city, and withdraw all fighters threatening the safety and security of civilians. Despite this, the siege continues, resulting in the deaths of many.
