Sudanese families are facing a worsening cost of living crisis amid repeated increases in cooking gas prices, while shortages in supply have forced many people to rely on the black market, where a 12.5-kilogram gas cylinder is being sold for more than 100,000 Sudanese pounds, compared to around 60,000 pounds previously charged to consumers (with the U.S. dollar trading at approximately 3,700 Sudanese pounds).
As the war continues, the price of a gas cylinder has risen five consecutive times since the beginning of this year, amid complaints over the expansion of the black market and weak regulatory oversight, making cooking gas one of the fastest-rising commodities in cost compared to the start of the year.
The decline in cooking gas services across several Sudanese cities has become another indicator of the depth of the economic crisis, which continues to worsen in the absence of suitable alternatives, in a country that has lost much of its ability to secure essential goods, while the cost of survival keeps increasing for households.
Economic experts say that Sudan, once viewed as a promising country in gas production, has now become a major importer due to insecurity and war, which have disrupted infrastructure and weakened the country’s storage capacity.
