Sudan Fuel Crisis: Rising Prices Hit Homes

Across Sudan, the queue for fuel is turning into a queue for survival. The Sudan fuel shortage October 2026 impact on prices and households is being felt in buses, markets and kitchens, as supply problems at home and abroad squeeze an already struggling population. The shortage stems from global oil disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East, combined with domestic import restrictions. It has hit public transport, freight and factory production, and the higher cost of moving goods has pushed up food prices for ordinary people.

A market at a standstill

For people on the ground, the effect is immediate. Khartoum resident Mohamed Hassan says the movement of goods and people has stopped and the market is paralysed. What Sudanese need, he says, are “solutions, not promises.” When fuel gets scarce, the damage spreads quickly. Minibuses cut routes or raise fares, trucks carrying food wait for diesel, and factories slow down. Each step adds a little more to the price of bread, vegetables and other basics.

The shortage also shows how connected African economies are to events far beyond their borders. A disruption in oil markets thousands of kilometres away can reach a Khartoum bus stop within weeks, especially in a country with limited foreign currency and few ways to cushion the blow.

Government response and policy hurdles

Prime Minister Kamil Idriss has ordered extra petroleum supplies to be sent to service stations to ease shortages and improve availability. But a central bank rule is complicating imports. Traders must deposit the equivalent of 200 kilograms of gold, which limits who can take part in the market.

Deeper problems beneath the queues

Analysts say the troubles run deeper. They point to the prolonged shutdown of the al-Jaili refinery, shortages of foreign exchange and difficulty financing fuel imports. The civil war makes everything harder. With supply tight, a black market in fuel has surged across government-held areas, which tends to mean higher and less predictable prices for those who can least afford them.

For households, the maths is brutal. Fuel affects what it costs to get to work, to move food from farm to city and to run a small business. When it rises, almost everything follows. Whether the prime minister’s order brings real relief will depend on whether the underlying problems, from the refinery to foreign currency, are tackled. Until then, ordinary Sudanese will keep paying the price at the pump and in the market.