Sudanese Refugees in Cairo Must Pay Rent

Cairo, MINA – Sudanese refugees in Cairo, Egypt are struggling to pay their rent as landlords take advantage of the number of people who need accommodation, the Middle East Monitor reported on Tuesday.

One refugee said the landlord asked for three times the rent if he wanted to live in the apartment and the electricity and water were not cut off.

Previously, the rent on his apartment had been increased by 3,500 to 5,000 Egyptian pounds, roughly $113 to $162.

The aftermath of fighting between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) forced thousands of people across the border and into Egypt to escape gun fire, sexual violence and bombings.

In the first few weeks of the conflict, Egypt allowed everyone to enter, but has since imposed tougher restrictions to try and stem the flow of people.

Life for the Sudanese refugees who make it into Egypt is not easy, and in addition to rising rents, they have to grapple with rising food and health care costs.

On the other hand, Egypt is facing a severe economic crisis. Residents are struggling to buy basic products such as meat and fruit due to rising inflation.

The Russian-Ukrainian war and the coronavirus pandemic have had a devastating impact on the Egyptian economy.

Egyptian inflation hit a record high in June at 36.8 percent and the Egyptian pound has lost half its value against the US dollar. (T/RE1/P2)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)