Sudan's collapsing pound and soaring inflation push families into deeper hardship
A street vendor in Port Sudan sees her earnings eroded by a ten-fold fall in the pound and rapidly rising food prices, a plight echoed across the war-torn country.
In Port Sudan, 27-year-old vendor Aisha serves tea and coffee from a makeshift stand, yet her daily income of 70,000-100,000 pounds no longer covers basic needs after the pound collapsed and prices surged. A cup of coffee now costs 3,000 pounds, bread, sugar, beef and lentils have all risen sharply, and transport expenses have quadrupled. National inflation stayed above 41 % in July, while the Sudanese pound fell from roughly 600 to 7,500 per dollar on the black market.
The war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces has crippled production, exports and tax revenue, shrinking the economy by more than 40 % and closing a third of businesses. UNDP estimates a $6.4 billion GDP loss in 2023, and the World Bank says extreme poverty rose to 59 % with over five million people facing life-threatening food shortages. Experts call for immediate food-production boosts, better gold-revenue management and long-term agricultural reforms to stabilize the economy and protect households.
Why it matters
The currency collapse and inflation threaten basic survival for millions of Sudanese amid ongoing war.
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