They Rent Out Their Homes to War Refugees and Escape to Safer Countries
Moatinoon
As the war ravaging Sudan continues, citizens face daily struggles that go beyond the loss of stability, extending to constant threats to their livelihoods. Amid displacement and asylum-seeking, a new phenomenon has emerged: exploiting the dire needs of those fleeing the horrors of war. The housing crisis has transformed into an open market for profit, with property owners imposing exorbitant rental rates.
Exorbitant Rents
In relatively safe cities like Port Sudan, rental prices have skyrocketed to unprecedented levels. The average rent for a modest house now exceeds 1,000, equivalent to 2–3 million Sudanese pounds, a substantial amount compared to rents in neighboring countries.
Mohamed Al-Amin Al-Tahir, a resident of Port Sudan, recounts how he rented out his entire house for 4 million Sudanese pounds and moved to Egypt, where he leased a luxurious apartment for 20,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately 1 million Sudanese pounds). He describes this move as providing him with a more comfortable and luxurious lifestyle than he had in Sudan.
Government employees forced to relocate to Port Sudan due to the war have faced a severe housing crisis. Hamid Ali Ahmed, a civil servant, says he pays 1 million pounds monthly for a modest apartment, an amount that does not align with his income or the apartments quality. He stresses the need for laws regulating rental prices in the country.
Ibrahim Hassan Ahmed shares his struggle to secure housing for his family during his displacement between Wad Madani and Gedaref. He initially rented an ordinary house in Wad Madani for over 1 million pounds before moving to Gedaref, where he found a modest two-room house with a kitchen for 1.5 million pounds. With the war dragging on, he sold his wife and daughters jewelry to afford housing and eventually relied on his expatriate children for support.
Ibrahim notes that his landlord, after signing the rental agreement, traveled to Cairo, where Ibrahim continues to transfer the rent. Although he considered moving to Cairo, the difficulty of obtaining a visa compelled him to remain in Gedaref.
Landlord Perspective
A property owner in Port Sudan, who preferred anonymity, mentioned renting out half of his two-story house in a prime neighborhood near the citys service center for 2,700 Sudanese pounds. He left the other portion for his son, who is studying in Port Sudan, while relocating with the rest of his family to Cairo.
He explains that part of the rent from his Port Sudan house covers his apartment in Cairo, while the remainder funds his familys living expenses, including food, entertainment, transportation, and healthcare. He even manages to save some of the rent proceeds. The landlord acknowledges that the rent he charges in Port Sudan is significantly higher than pre-war rates.
The Stark Disparity
The contrast between rents within Sudan and abroad highlights the contradictions of the current situation. While refugees in Egypt pay reasonable amounts for housing and living expenses, displaced individuals within Sudan bear enormous financial burdens to secure even modest shelters.
In the absence of rule of law and the thriving crisis economy, displaced individuals suffer from the greed of property owners who exploit their dire circumstances by imposing unreasonable rent hikes. Hope remains pinned on the return of normalcy and the end of the war, which has cast its heavy shadow over everyone.
