Sudan’s War Pushes Economy to Brink as Hunger and Inflation Soar

• Apr 16, 2025

Two years into Sudan’s civil war, the country’s economy has collapsed, food prices have soared, and millions are struggling to survive. Inflation is expected to reach 118.9% in 2025, following a 200% rise last year, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

In Port Sudan, one of the safer areas, basic food items are unaffordable. A kilogram of meat now costs 26,000 Sudanese pounds ($43), more than double the pre-war price of 12,000 SDG ($20). Staples like rice, beans, and sugar are also scarce and increasingly expensive.

UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell told the UN Security Council that Sudan is facing the world’s most devastating humanitarian crisis, with 30 million people needing aid—over half of them children.

Political activist Mohamed Elhadi blames the crisis on the collapse of productive sectors and the government’s overreliance on mineral revenues to fund war expenses. Agricultural areas have been severely affected, with cereal production falling 46% below 2023 levels and 40% under the five-year average, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

Violence has displaced farmers, raised fuel and fertiliser costs, and led to direct attacks on farmland and markets. In Gezira state, which once produced half of Sudan’s wheat, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have taken crops and fertiliser by force. Markets and factories in Khartoum, Bahri, and Omdurman have also suffered extensive damage.

A Red Cross report said hospitals and key infrastructure are increasingly being hit by drone strikes. Sudan’s forestry sector, especially in gum Arabic production, has collapsed, slashing foreign income.

Aid is now a lifeline for millions, but donor dependency has left operations vulnerable. A recent 90-day freeze on U.S. humanitarian aid shut down around 1,100 communal kitchens, affecting nearly two million people. The RSF has also imposed new restrictions on aid access in areas under its control.

Over four million people have fled Sudan, with many unwilling to return. Refugees like Abdurahman, a teacher now in Cairo, say survival in Sudan is impossible due to extreme costs and limited work. Others, like Abdallah, a former lawyer, remain in Sudan but live off savings or take on basic jobs to get by.

With no sign of peace, the economic and humanitarian situation in Sudan continues to worsen daily.