KHARTOUM, March 10 (Xinhua) -- As Ramadan is approaching, people in the Sudanese capital of Khartoum show no sign of welcoming the Muslim holy month amid nearly a year of armed conflict across the country, in stark contrast to the same period in previous years, when people were bustling out for shopping.

The Central Market is one of the few markets open in Khartoum. Merchants at the market complained about the weak demand by residents to buy essential goods for Ramadan.

"Usually during this time, markets used to be crowded with people purchasing all Ramadan needs, but this year the situation has entirely changed," Abdul-Moneim Taha, a foodstuff merchant at the central market, told Xinhua.

"We are suffering from a general recession, and we could only sell a small portion of Ramadan goods due to lack of demand," said Taha. "The security situation deters citizens from going to markets, while the economic consequences of the war limit their purchasing capabilities."

Awatif Ramadan, an employee at a private company, cited psychological factors behind residents' lack of purchasing power. "Neighbors and relatives have been displaced amid the ongoing war," she said.

On top of that, "the lack of communication networks for more than a month also had a negative impact, during which mobile banking services have ceased working" due to the internet service cutoff, the 45-year-old woman said.

She said she has not received her salary since the war broke out in mid-April last year. "How can we prepare for Ramadan under this complicated situation? All our savings have run out," she said.

To address the circumstance, Khartoum State authorities declared special arrangements to provide basic goods and services, including water, electricity, gas, and flour, for local residents.

Khartoum State's Governor Ahmed Osman Hamza announced on Friday that his government has embarked on distributing essential goods and providing cooking gas through the Zakat Chamber (Muslim alms) to families in the capital.

In the meantime, the Bahri Emergency Room, a local civil society in Khartoum, announced on Friday that it has set up 62 kitchens to provide food during Ramadan for the more than 60,000 families in the Bahri area, north of the Sudanese capital.

With the month of Ramadan approaching, "we urgently need to secure funds to provide the necessary needs for citizens, including food supplies," it noted.

"The financial difficulties have become a major concern hindering our ability to provide the basic services on which many individuals in our city depend," the group added.

It called on local, regional, and international organizations and charitable groups to provide financial support and assistance.

Tarada Initiative, another civil society in Khartoum, announced a campaign of "Ramadan Baskets," distributing a bag containing basic food such as sugar, oil, flour, and some drinks to provide essential goods to residents.

"We have distributed Ramadan baskets to 200 families in Omdurman city. We have also delivered 70 Ramadan baskets to villages in the White Nile State in central Sudan," said Sa'dia Al-Rasheed, the group's Executive Director.

"We are seeking, through what we receive of support, especially from Sudanese communities abroad, to provide the essential Ramadan supplies to families in Khartoum and other areas," she noted.

According to the United Nations, half of Sudan's population -- some 25 million people -- need humanitarian assistance and protection, with nearly 18 million people facing acute food insecurity.

Sudan has been witnessing deadly clashes between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces since April 15, 2023.

More than 13,000 people have been killed since the fighting broke out, according to recent estimates released by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Enditem

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