Sudanese families cling to Eid al-Fitr traditions amid hardship

Khartoum: As Eid al Fitr approaches, Sudanese markets are alive with activity, even as soaring prices and ongoing conflict strain household budgets....

Khartoum: As Eid al-Fitr approaches, Sudanese markets are alive with activity, even as soaring prices and ongoing conflict strain household budgets.

In Khartoum, Port Sudan, and Wad Madani, families crowd stalls in search of new clothes, sweets, and basic food items-the staples of the holiday.

At the Popular Market in Omdurman, 39-year-old Mohamed Abdullah carefully compared prices with his two children. "Salaries are no longer enough to cover basic needs," he said. "But Eid is important. I saved so my children could at least feel the joy of the holiday."

For Fatima Ali, a mother of five, this year meant scaling back. "We used to buy clothes for all the children, sweets, and lots of food," she said. "Now we focus only on the essentials, sometimes second-hand, just to maintain the Eid spirit at home."

Merchants report busier markets than earlier in the season, yet caution prevails. "People come in large numbers, but most buy only one or two items," said Ahmed Hassan, a Khartoum clothing vendor. Rising transport costs and supply shortages, fueled by the conflict and high fuel prices, have pushed prices even higher.