Living pressures on Sudanese citizens are increasing with the decline in the value of the local currency and the rise in food and fuel prices, in an economy exhausted by the war that has lasted for more than three years, and the accompanying disruption of production and trade.
The Sudanese pound has lost about half its value against the US dollar since the beginning of the summer in areas under army control. In September 2026, the exchange rate of the US dollar reached about 7,500 Sudanese pounds in the parallel market, compared to 4,100 in May and about 600 pounds before the war.
The decline in the value of the Sudanese pound against foreign currencies means an increase in the cost of imports, and the increase in fuel prices leads to an increase in the cost of transportation and operation, which is reflected in the prices of goods and services.
The ability of the Sudanese citizen to meet his basic needs has declined, in light of the rise in prices without a corresponding increase in wages and incomes.
In August 2026, the Sudanese Minister of Finance, Jibril Ibrahim, acknowledged the difficulty of the current economic situation, adding that “the people are undoubtedly suffering... but the people understand.”
“Three years of war have severely disrupted agricultural production and led to the fragmentation of Sudanese markets,” the United Nations Development Programme, in a recent analysis published in August 2026, concluded.
In light of the continuation of the war, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in a report issued on September 24, 2026, monitored significant increases in the prices of basic foods.
According to data published by the FAO, prices of domestically produced sorghum more than doubled, on average, in most of the markets monitored between January and August. Prices of locally produced sorghum in August 2026 were more than double their levels recorded in the same month of the previous year, which were already high.
The increase in prices is not matched by similar increases in incomes and wages, as the United Nations Development Program and the Institute for Security Studies indicated, in an analysis issued in April 2026, that “average incomes in Sudan have declined to levels last seen in 1992,” in an indication of the extent of the economic suffering endured by Sudanese families.
The speech of the Sudanese Minister of Human Resources and Social Welfare, Moatasem Ahmed Saleh, was consistent with international data regarding the extent of the damage inflicted on the Sudanese citizen as a result of the war, as he said in June 2026 that “the poverty rate among Sudanese inside and outside the country reached 73 percent.”
The Sudanese war caused one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. The United Nations estimates that about “33.7 million people in Sudan will need humanitarian assistance during 2026,” the highest number recorded in any country.
Official UN reports indicate that “about 19.5 million Sudanese, or about 41 percent of the country’s total population, face severe levels of food insecurity,” and the United Nations warns that “825,000 children under the age of five may suffer from severe acute malnutrition during the current year.”
Sudan is witnessing the largest displacement crisis in the world, as UN estimates and relief organizations indicate that the war, which has entered its fourth year, has caused the displacement and asylum of at least 11 million people, including more than four million who crossed the border into neighboring countries.
The United Nations calls on both parties to the conflict, the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces, to stop hostilities and agree to a humanitarian truce that would allow safe corridors for humanitarian aid to enter.
The Sudanese war broke out on April 15, 2023, after the dispute escalated between the Sudanese army, led by Lieutenant General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces, led by Muhammad Hamdan Dagalo, known as “Hemedti.”
In your opinion,
How can a Sudanese citizen live with the sharp decline in the value of the pound and the rise in prices of basic commodities?
How did the war affect the level of production, exports, and foreign exchange flow?
What methods do Sudanese families resort to to maintain their purchasing power in light of the decline in the value of the pound?
What options are available to the authorities to limit the decline of the pound and curb the rise in prices?
Is it possible to revitalize the economy and provide basic goods in light of the continuing war and the decline in export revenues?
We will discuss these and other topics with you in the episode of Monday, September 28.
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