Sudan Fuel Crunch: Rising Costs Strain Transport and Trade

Azhari Mohamed, a 60-year-old minibus driver in Port Sudan, now works only two days out of every three due to persistent fuel scarcity. His vehicle consumes three gallons of petrol daily, a cost that amounts to roughly 105,000 Sudanese pounds, or $11.30 at the parallel market rate. After covering operating expenses, Mohamed retains approximately 50,000 pounds, or $5.40, to support his family. He reported that waiting times at pumps frequently exceed five hours, and he often reaches the station only to find the fuel has run out, forcing him to rejoin a new queue.

The Sudan Transport Chambers Union raised intercity bus fares by 40% and minibus fares by 30% this month to reflect the increased costs. For Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, the price hike has reduced her work schedule to three days per week. Her daily round-trip commute now costs 11,000 pounds, or $1.18, consuming nearly half of her monthly salary of 400,000 pounds. Ibrahim, who also manages diabetes treatment for four children, often borrows money for transport and repays it upon receiving her wages.

The United Nations Development Programme stated that average incomes in Sudan have returned to levels last seen in the 1990s. The conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began on April 15, 2023, has exacerbated the economic strain. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum valued war-related losses at $20 billion last year. The World Bank noted that attacks on the Balila oil field disrupted supplies to the Khartoum refinery, which previously satisfied about 60% of national demand for petrol and liquefied petroleum gas.

Domestic production has dropped, forcing Sudan to rely on imports during a global fuel price surge. Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj said government regulations requiring importers to deposit 200kg of gold in the Central Bank and own storage facilities have removed some participants from the market. Ohaj argued that the government should ease import procedures urgently and noted that drone attacks on infrastructure and the war between the United States and Iran continue to disrupt global energy markets.

In Omdurman, trader Ahmed al-Haj reported that higher diesel and petrol prices have increased the cost of moving one tonne of goods by 30 to 50 percent. These costs are passed directly to consumers. Local delivery fees in Omdurman have doubled or more, rising from 5,000 pounds to between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds. Al-Haj said transport and distribution workers are making fewer trips, causing goods to pile up at trading premises while deliveries to other states have become impossible.