Residents of Rabak in Sudan's White Nile state have endured a total power blackout for 14 consecutive days following a drone attack, a disruption that has triggered a sharp surge in the cost of basic services. The prolonged absence of electricity has forced local businesses to drastically increase prices for essential utilities, placing a significant financial burden on the community.
According to reports from Dabanga, the economic impact of the outage is already visible in the daily costs of living. A single block of ice, a necessity in the region's climate, now commands a price of 60,000 Sudanese Pounds (SDG). This represents a substantial increase over standard market rates, reflecting the high operational costs incurred by vendors to maintain refrigeration without grid power.
The crisis has also affected digital connectivity and food processing. Charging a mobile phone, a service typically provided at low cost, has risen to 5,000 SDG. Furthermore, the milling of grain has become significantly more expensive, with the cost to process a malwa—equivalent to 3.5 kilograms of grain—reaching 10,000 SDG.
These price hikes illustrate the broader fragility of local infrastructure in the face of ongoing conflict. As residents rely on alternative, often more expensive, means to power essential devices and process food, the two-week blackout continues to strain household budgets in White Nile state.
<small>Source: AllAfrica — read the original story there.</small>
