Sudan's Fuel Crisis Cuts Driver Incomes to $5.40 Daily

A 60-year-old minibus driver in Port Sudan now takes home only 50,000 Sudanese pounds, or $5.40, at the end of a long workday. Azhari Mohamed operates between the Shagar neighborhood and the city center, completing seven round trips from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. His vehicle consumes 11 liters of petrol daily, costing roughly 105,000 pounds, or $11.30, at the parallel market rate. The gap between fuel costs and fares has squeezed his daily earnings to a fraction of previous income levels.

Scarcity has made waiting for fuel a standard part of the workweek. Mohamed works two days and spends a third in queues that can exceed five hours. On some days, the petrol runs out before he reaches the pump, forcing him to restart the line. Gasoline prices have climbed with the shortage, reaching 40,000 pounds, or $4.30, per gallon in Gazira State and 35,000 pounds, or $3.80, in Port Sudan.

The Sudan Transport Chambers Union responded to the rising costs by increasing fares this month. Intercity bus tickets rose by 40 percent, while minibus fares went up by 30 percent. For passengers, the increase has altered daily routines. Aziza Ibrahim, a 38-year-old cleaner in Port Sudan, has reduced her work schedule to three days a week. Her round trip to the city center station now costs between 11,000 and 13,500 pounds, up from 700 pounds before the war. Transport expenses now consume nearly half of her 400,000-pound monthly salary, or $43.

The fuel shortage has deepened the economic strain on businesses and workers across the country. Ahmed al-Haj, a trader in Omdurman, reported that the cost of moving one tonne of goods has increased by 30 to 50 percent. Local delivery fees in Omdurman have doubled from 5,000 pounds to between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds. Al-Haj noted that goods are accumulating at trading premises because distribution workers are making fewer trips.

The root of the crisis lies in disrupted production and supply chains. The United Nations Development Programme stated that the war has pushed average incomes in Sudan back to 1990s levels. The Ministry of Energy and Petroleum estimated war-related losses at $20 billion last year. Attacks on the Balila oil field interrupted supplies to the Khartoum refinery, which previously met about 60 percent of the national demand for petrol and liquefied petroleum gas. With domestic output reduced, the country relies on imports, though global prices remain high due to the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran.

Economic analyst Sidi Ohaj said government import rules have worsened the supply deficit. Importers are required to deposit 200 kilograms of gold in the Central Bank and own fuel storage facilities, a barrier that forced some companies to exit the market. Ohaj argued that the government must ease import procedures to restore supply, noting that drone attacks on infrastructure and global market disruptions continue to limit quick relief.

The situation in Sudan reflects a wider pattern of how regional conflicts and global energy shifts interact to affect local economies. While the immediate pressure falls on drivers and traders, the rising cost of moving goods and people is reshaping the daily financial calculations for millions of people in the country.