Ramadan in Egypt Dampened by High Prices from Ukraine War
Prices for basic foods in Egypt have reached record highs during Ramadan this year, increasing sometimes as much as 50 percent in Cairo, April 5, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
Last month, the Egyptian pound plunged roughly 16 percent against the U.S.dollar as prices rose due to high inflation in Cairo, April 1, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
In late-night prayers on the first day of Ramadan at Cairo’s famed Al-Azhar Mosque, Imams prayed for those in attendance to receive God's support in fulfilling their financial responsibilities, April 3, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
Hassan Elfarran, whose bakery produces 10,000 loaves of subsidized bread a day, fears that if the price of his products go up, 70 million of Egypt’s poor will suffer and expenses in Cairo will become unbearable for everyone on March 23, 2022. (Hamada Elra
Abu Fahd, a baker who raised the price of his unsubsidized bread last month, says, “People in this [working- and middle-class] neighborhood can afford the increase, but other neighborhoods will struggle if you add any extra costs.” In Cairo, April 6, 2022
Abdulmoniem, a vegetable seller, says his regular customers and restaurant owners are buying less chilies, tomatoes, and other staples from him, as Russia’s war with Ukraine disrupts the Egyptian food market in Cairo, April 5, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
Mohamed, a restaurant owner, says, “I’ve removed items from my menu that require a lot of frying or chilies” because his customers can no longer afford dishes that require lots of oil or vegetables like chilis, which in some places are six times more expe
Tarek Mostafa and his family are among Egypt’s tens of millions of poor, saying they can now barely afford state subsidized housing. “Our living expenses are very high here,” he says, “and I haven't found a new job yet.” Cairo, April 5, 2022. (Hamada Elra
Wafa Mostafa, a single mother, with her seven-month-old daughter Zaman, says, “I don’t have enough milk for her—everything is so expensive. Cairo, April 4, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)
Charities now serve Ramadan meals to Egypt’s poor again, after being canceled for two years because of the coronavirus pandemic in Cairo on April 7, 2022. (Hamada Elrasam/VOA)