Sudan’s soaring fuel prices make getting by harder for workers

What the report says

Sudan’s fuel crunch is deepening a wider cost-of-living crisis and making daily work harder for transport operators, cleaners and traders, according to Al Jazeera. In Port Sudan and other areas, drivers say long queues, empty pumps and rising prices are cutting into already thin earnings, while commuters are reducing workdays because bus fares have become unaffordable.

Al Jazeera reported on 24 October 2026 that minibus driver Azhari Mohamed in Port Sudan now spends hours waiting for petrol and sometimes loses a full day to refuelling attempts. He said higher fuel costs and lost time have made it difficult to cover family expenses. Cleaner Aziza Ibrahim, also based in Port Sudan, said transport costs now take up a large share of her income, forcing her to work fewer days each week and sometimes borrow money to get to work.

The article links the shortages to Sudan’s war, which began in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the Rapid Support Forces, and to damage in the oil sector. It also cites the impact of import requirements and reduced supply. The Transport Chambers Union has raised intercity bus fares and minibus fares in response. Al Jazeera said traders are also feeling the squeeze, with higher diesel and petrol prices pushing up delivery costs and weakening business activity.