Sudanese tighten belts as economic crisis grinds on

As Sudan's economic crisis drags on, grocer Hassan Omar keeps busy cleaning packaged food items that have been gathering dust for months as his dwindling customer base make fewer purchases.

"People can no longer afford to buy all their needs," Omar, 43, told AFP at his grocery store in the capital Khartoum.

"Purchasing power has significantly declined over the past six months," he said, noting that his sales had plummeted from 500,000 Sudanese pounds ($877) to 200,000 pounds ($350) per day over that period.

His plight reflects Sudan's spiralling economic crisis which has forced many households to tighten their belts as nearly one third of the 45 million population face acute hunger.

Some 65 percent of the population live below the poverty line, according to a 2020 report by the United Nations.

The country's economic troubles stem from decades of government mismanagement, armed conflict and international sanctions against the government of president Omar al-Bashir, who was ousted in April 2019 following mass protests against his rule triggered by biting hardship.

The crisis further deepened following a 2021 military coup led by army chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, which upended a transition to civilian rule and triggered cuts to crucial international aid.

"We are trying to find cheaper alternatives to the food we normally consume," said Soaad Bashir, a government employee and mother of four.

"My income is very low and expenses are too high," said the 43-year-old who makes less than 200,000 Sudanese pounds per month.

North Khartoum vegetable seller Al-Nour Adam says he has suffered heavy losses over the past nine months.

"Much of the produce spoilt because no one was buying it," said Adam, who now...