KHARTOUM, Feb. 19 (Xinhua) -- Ramadan in Sudan has lost its festive spirit, as the ongoing war and deepening economic crisis have transformed the holy month from a time of communal abundance into one of budgeting and daily struggle for survival.
In a market in Omdurman, north of Khartoum, Ahmed Abdul-Baqi, a civil servant whose income was slashed after his workplace closed, stood reviewing a Ramadan shopping list that was much shorter than in previous years.
"We used to buy enough supplies for the entire month, but now we shop day by day and stick to the basics," Abdul-Baqi told Xinhua, adding that rising prices and exchange rate volatility have made it hard to budget.
Economic analyst Abdul-Khaliq Mahjoub said Ramadan arrives this year in "an extremely fragile economic environment," with eroded incomes and higher production and transportation costs pushing up food prices.
Supply gaps have emerged for basic goods like sugar, flour, and cooking oil due to disrupted industrial activity in conflict zones, Mahjoub said. "A wartime economy shifts priorities, with families focused on securing minimum daily needs rather than variety."
Since April 15, 2023, Sudan has been mired in war between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The conflict rapidly spread nationwide, devastating infrastructure, crippling state institutions, and displacing millions.
Essential services -- electricity, water, telecommunications, and banking -- were severely disrupted. Public revenues and exports plummeted, transport costs surged, and the currency depreciated sharply, driving sustained inflation in the prices of basic goods and services.
Political analyst and Chief Editor of Heart of Africa website Loay Abdelrahman noted that many families now depend on food distribution centers and volunteer organizations for Ramadan supplies.
Displaced residents returning to cities such as Khartoum, Wad Madani, and Sinnar require urgent government support, including fee relief and measures to lower service and transportation costs, he said.
Sara Al-Naeem, a teacher who recently returned to Khartoum after temporary displacement, said her family decided to reduce the number of dishes this year and focus only on necessities, as transportation and utility bills consume a growing share of their income.
Families are also increasingly dependent on remittances from abroad or buying on credit, as salary payments are delayed and job opportunities dwindle.
Interruptions to communications and banking services, however, have hindered remittance flows, a crucial income source for many households, according to Mahjoub.
Since the war began, the U.S. dollar has skyrocketed from about 600 Sudanese pounds to nearly 3,500 pounds.
The crisis has also fueled a surge in unemployment, which rose from 32.14 percent in 2022 to 47.2 percent in 2025, according to International Monetary Fund statistics.
As part of austerity measures, Khartoum State Governor Mohamed Osman Hamza banned collective iftars -- the evening meals marking the end of the daily Ramadan fast -- organized by state institutions.
A statement from the Khartoum State media office said on Thursday the move aims to redirect funds toward vulnerable families. ■