Sudan’s economy battered by conflict

The conflict in Sudan has displaced millions and left many in the country grappling with a deteriorating economy.

The northeastern African nation plunged into chaos in April last year when tensions between the military and a notorious paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces, turned into open fighting in the capital, Khartoum, before spreading across the country.

The fighting has killed thousands of people and pushed many into starvation.

The country’s humanitarian crisis is at “a catastrophic breaking point” amid fighting and devastating flooding, the U.N. migration agency said Monday, ahead of peace talks planned for later this week.

“When it comes to these negotiations, we always say that reconciliation is better,” said Aly Mohamed, a displaced resident, as he commented on the planned talks whilst visiting a local market.

“We have reached a stage where it’s as if the people don’t exist.”

Sudan’s war has created the world’s largest displacement crisis.

More than 10.7 million people have been forced to flee their homes since fighting began, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Over 2 million of those fled to neighbouring countries.

Last month, global experts also confirmed that starvation at a massive camp for displaced people in Darfur has grown into famine.

And about 25.6 million people — more than half of Sudan’s population — will face acute hunger, the experts from the Famine Review Committee warned.

According to the Central Bureau of Statistics in Sudan, the inflation rate in the country has recently hit 159%.

“We want reform for our country, we want the Rapid Support Forces to go away and we want prices in this market to go down,” said local Hanan Ahmed as she visited Omdurman market.

“There are poor people who cannot buy the food they need, they can’t afford bread…We have not received any help from anyone,” she added.

Fighting rages in Darfur’s city of al-Fasher and the southeastern province of Sennar, where clashes forced over 700,000 people to flee last month, according to the IOM.

The peace talks face uncertainty as Sudan’s military has yet to confirm its participation in the meeting in Switzerland brokered by the United States and Saudi Arabia.