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WARAWAR - 15 Sep 2020

Warawar citizens struggle as prices of consumer goods soar

Residents of Warawar town in Aweil East County of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State are complaining about rising prices of consumer goods in recent months.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, several residents said prices of consumer goods have risen drastically and the ordinary citizens cannot afford to meet basic needs.

Amel Bak, a 25-year-old resident of Warawar, said a kilogram of sugar now costs 300 SSP, while a tin of sorghum is estimated between 2,000-2,500 SSP.

“Things are too expensive, and if there is support, we quickly need it so that the situation returns to normal like before so that a parent can sustain his or her children,” she explained.

Awar Deng, another resident, said she is sometimes forced to sleep hungry owing to the high prices of food items in the market.

“Last time, the conditions were good, but now the market prices are very bad. The 3.7 kilograms of flour has reached 2,200 SSP,” she added.

Several traders, however, attributed the high prices in the market to poor conditions of roads, high inflation rates and the closure of Majok-Mairam road over insecurity.

Amar Yousef Fadhol, a Sudanese trader in Warawar town, confirmed the high prices, which he attributed to the scarcity of the US dollar in the area.

For his part, Abraham Garang, the head of Chamber of Commerce in Warawar, said traders have been affected by the closure of the Majok-Mairam road and the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

He urged the government to improve the security situation in border areas with Sudan.

In August, South Sudan's central bank said the local currency was depreciating sharply and there was little that the bank could do to stop its fall.

Separately, Major Santino Dut Wol, the Warawar police inspector complained about limited numbers of police personnel deployed in the area.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj, Wol said the 20 police personnel deployed at the border town cannot effectively maintain security.

“The number of police forces in Warawar is not enough, so I calling for more recruitment because many of the forces are volunteers,” he said.