Sudans inflation up to 16.5 percent in July

Sudan’s annual inflation rate rose to 16.5 percent in July from 14.31 percent in June as the price of foodstuffs and services climbed higher, Sudan’s Central Statistics Office said on Wednesday.

Prices have soared in Sudan since South Sudan seceded in 2011, taking with it three quarters of the country’s oil output, the main source of foreign currency used to support the Sudanese pound and pay for food and other imports.

A shortage of foreign currency has seen the Sudanese pound depreciate against the dollar on the black market, reaching about 15 to the dollar in August, traders said. The official rate is 6.4 Sudanese pounds to the dollar.

The dollar shortage and ballooning black market for hard currency has made imports more expensive in Sudan, raising prices in general.