Kordofan, August 15 (Darfur24)
Families in West Kordofan State are increasingly turning to “ambaz”, a byproduct normally used as animal feed, to survive amid soaring food prices, low incomes and worsening living conditions.
Residents told Darfur24 that many families can no longer afford basic food commodities and are seeking ambaz from oil-pressing facilities to grind and prepare it as food.
Ambaz is the residue left after peanuts and sesame seeds are pressed to extract oil and is normally used to feed livestock.
Residents said the rising cost of food, combined with declining household incomes, has made it increasingly difficult for families to meet their basic needs.
A housewife in Wad Banda who identified herself as F.A. told Darfur24 that she lost her husband about a year ago and is raising three children, including an infant.
She said she has been unable to breastfeed the baby after her milk dried up and has struggled to find someone willing to support the child with food.
Traders in West Kordofan reported significant price variations across local markets. A 50-kilogram sack of sugar is selling for about 400,000 Sudanese pounds, while a 20-kilogram sack of lentils costs around 200,000 pounds and a 25-kilogram sack of flour about 175,000 pounds.
Peanut oil is selling for about 250,000 pounds per 36-pound jerrycan, while a sack of onions has fallen to 720,000 pounds.
Millet flour remains at about 900,000 pounds per 30-pound sack, while a sack of sorghum is selling for around 750,000 pounds.
The growing reliance on animal-feed byproducts as food highlights the deteriorating food security situation facing vulnerable households in West Kordofan amid the wider conflict and economic crisis.