As Muslims kick off daytime fasting for the month of Ramadan this Thursday, Muslim shoppers in Rwanda say they’re finding themselves with few options to prepare for the holy month of fasting.
Throughout this month, Muslims refrain from eating or drinking from sunrise to sunset.
Karim Munyeshyaka a resident in Kayonza town, Eastern Province says Ramadan is a time of fasting where Muslims and households usually gather over meals and celebrations for iftar, the fast breaking meal.
The motorist affirms that Ramadan promises to be difficult as a result of raising food prices.
“Everything is just priced ludicrously high, from rice, to cooking oil, vegetables, fruits and wheat. We’re not able to buy bulky items, ” Munyeshyaka says.
The sharp prices have disproportionately impacted lower-income households.
Aisha Hamida from Rwamagana district says that prices of food have increased but another factor driving up food prices during Ramadan is an increase in production costs.
“Even before Ramadan started today, we’re already feeling the pinch of inflation. Since the War started between Russia and Ukraine, food and fuel prices have soared and countries in Africa are the worst hit.” She notes.
Hamida further adds that she hopes to mitigate the increase in food prices during Ramadan through hardouts from family relatives and friends.
Annual inflation in Rwanda slowed for a second straight month to 20.7 per cent in January. Since this year, the Rwandan francs rose against the US dollar at the highest $US/Rwf 1,096.
The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that 349 million people across 79 countries were acutely food insecure in 2022.
In addition, WFP says that this situation is expected to worsen, with global food supplies projected to drop to a three-year low in 2022/2023.
