A UN warning that the number of people in Sudan who will face acute hunger will more than double to 18 million by September this year is the latest evidence the troubled Afro-Arab nation may be on the brink of an economic meltdown.
Five months after a military coup derailed the country’s democratic transition and plunged it into political deadlock, the price of many basic items has soared beyond the reach of many Sudanese and pushed millions into poverty.
Significantly, the turmoil sparked by the coup has wiped out the encouraging but small economic gains made by the civilian-led government removed by the military. The coup also led to the suspension of hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of foreign aid and a programme to forgive most of Sudan’s large foreign debt.
On Wednesday, two UN food agencies – the World Food Programme and the Food and Agriculture Organisation – delivered a grim warning that highlighted the seriousness of the challenges now facing a country that has seen little stability and virtually no economic prosperity since independence in 1956.
“The combined effects of conflict, economic crisis and poor harvests are significantly affecting people’s access to food and will likely double the number of people facing acute hunger in Sudan to more than 18 million by September,” the WFP and the FAO said in a joint report.
With food becoming more and more unavailable and unaffordable, more people in Sudan are being pushed deeper into poverty and hunger, the report said.
It said a recent surge in violence in the restive Darfur and Kordofan regions had eroded livelihoods, damaged farms and triggered widespread unemployment.
“The depreciation of the Sudanese pound, in addition to rising food and transportation costs, is making it harder for families to put food on the table.”
The October 25 coup, led by army chief Gen Abdel Fattah Al Burhan, has sparked almost daily street protests in the capital Khartoum and other major cities. The protesters are calling for the restoration of the democratic transition and for the military to quit politics altogether.
The rallies have been dealt with violently by security forces, with about 90 protesters killed, including 11 children, and 3,000 injured.
The military has repeatedly been admonished by the West for allowing security forces to use excessive force against unarmed protesters.
The US this week imposed sanctions on a police paramilitary force – the Central Reserves – for its role in the killing of protesters, while Congress has called for similar measures aimed at the army generals behind the coup.
Life in Khartoum for many this week ground to a halt because of a general strike called by pro-democracy groups, whose supporters barricaded streets across much of the sprawling, Nile-side city.
Life returned to normal on Thursday, residents said, with thousands of people thronging government offices to pursue official documentation.
However, the economic crisis seems to be deepening every day.
The dollar was trading on the streets of the capital on Thursday at 760 pounds, compared to 450-470 on the eve of the coup. Petrol at the pump was sold for 680 pounds a litre, up from 310 in October. The price of a kilogram of sugar is 700 pounds, more than twice its price five months ago.
In an interview with the Saudi Arabian-owned daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat, Gen Al Burhan repeated an earlier statement that the military was ready to sit down with civilian politicians only when they reach a consensus on how to move forward with the transition.
"When all the civilian forces sit together and come to a consensus between them, we are ready to sit and come to an understanding with them or to present them with whatever they need from the military side," he said.
Gen Al Burhan has insisted that his coup was a necessary corrective measure to end political infighting. Pro-democracy activists, however, accuse the military of seeking to consolidate their power by advancing politicians beholden to them.
They reject talks with the military and demand that Gen Al Burhan and his associates be held accountable for toppling a legitimate government and killing unarmed protesters.
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Honeymoonish
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Difference between fractional ownership and timeshare
Although similar in its appearance, the concept of a fractional title deed is unlike that of a timeshare, which usually involves multiple investors buying “time” in a property whereby the owner has the right to occupation for a specified period of time in any year, as opposed to the actual real estate, said John Peacock, Head of Indirect Tax and Conveyancing, BSA Ahmad Bin Hezeem & Associates, a law firm.
TOURNAMENT INFO
Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier
Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November
UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi
ONCE UPON A TIME IN GAZA
Starring: Nader Abd Alhay, Majd Eid, Ramzi Maqdisi
Directors: Tarzan and Arab Nasser
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 2 Bournemouth 1
United: Sharp (45 2'), Lundstram (84')
Bournemouth: C Wilson (13')
Man of the Match: Jack O’Connell (Sheffield United)
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
MATCH INFO
Karnataka Tuskers 110-5 (10 ovs)
Tharanga 48, Shafiq 34, Rampaul 2-16
Delhi Bulls 91-8 (10 ovs)
Mathews 31, Rimmington 3-28
Karnataka Tuskers win by 19 runs
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The Greatest Royal Rumble card
50-man Royal Rumble - names entered so far include Braun Strowman, Daniel Bryan, Kurt Angle, Big Show, Kane, Chris Jericho, The New Day and Elias
Universal Championship Brock Lesnar (champion) v Roman Reigns in a steel cage match
WWE World Heavyweight ChampionshipAJ Styles (champion) v Shinsuke Nakamura
Intercontinental Championship Seth Rollins (champion) v The Miz v Finn Balor v Samoa Joe
United States Championship Jeff Hardy (champion) v Jinder Mahal
SmackDown Tag Team Championship The Bludgeon Brothers (champions) v The Usos
Raw Tag Team Championship (currently vacant) Cesaro and Sheamus v Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt
Casket match The Undertaker v Rusev
Singles match John Cena v Triple H
Cruiserweight Championship Cedric Alexander v Kalisto
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
Fixture and table
UAE finals day: Friday, April 13 at Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
- 3pm, UAE Conference: Dubai Tigers v Sharjah Wanderers
- 6.30pm, UAE Premiership: Dubai Exiles v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
UAE Premiership – final standings
- Dubai Exiles
- Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Jebel Ali Dragons
- Dubai Hurricanes
- Dubai Sports City Eagles
- Abu Dhabi Saracens
THE BIO
Mr Al Qassimi is 37 and lives in Dubai
He is a keen drummer and loves gardening
His favourite way to unwind is spending time with his two children and cooking
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
The distance learning plan
Spring break will be from March 8 - 19
Public school pupils will undergo distance learning from March 22 - April 2. School hours will be 8.30am to 1.30pm
Staff will be trained in distance learning programmes from March 15 - 19
Teaching hours will be 8am to 2pm during distance learning
Pupils will return to school for normal lessons from April 5
The Two Popes
Director: Fernando Meirelles
Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Jonathan Pryce
Four out of five stars
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Our legal advisor
Rasmi Ragy is a senior counsel at Charles Russell Speechlys, a law firm headquartered in London with offices in Europe, the Middle East and Hong Kong.
Experience: Prosecutor in Egypt with more than 40 years experience across the GCC.
Education: Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1978.
Rock in a Hard Place: Music and Mayhem in the Middle East
Orlando Crowcroft
Zed Books
Age 26
Born May 17, 1991
Height 1.80 metres
Birthplace Sydney, Australia
Residence Eastbourne, England
Plays Right-handed
WTA titles 3
Prize money US$5,761,870 (Dh21,162,343.75)
Wins / losses 312 / 181
Company%20profile
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
