Ramadan is about abstinence, but also about eating in large groups after sunset. Poor households are hardest hit by high food prices on world markets.
Amid continued food shortages and high prices, Muslims around the world began their week-long fast on the first day of Ramadan. In Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, among others, Thursday was declared the first day of the month of fasting. The date depends on the appearance of the new crescent moon and therefore may vary slightly from country to country.
Many people, including countries in the Arab world, continue to suffer from the sharp rise in food prices on world markets. One reason for this is the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, which has now lasted for over a year. Grain prices, in particular, rose sharply.
Do not eat, drink, smoke or have sex in daylight
During Ramadan, devout Muslims abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sex for a month, from dawn to dusk. In the evening, people traditionally meet to break the fast together. Many spend this time with their families and eating in large groups. Because of high food prices, poorer families will find it difficult, as in the previous year, to host the evening Iftar.
“The combination of high food price inflation, collapsing currencies and stagnant incomes makes it impossible for households to put food on the table,” said economist Arif Hussain of the UN World Food Program (WFP). The food inflation rate is particularly high in Lebanon at 138% and Syria at 105%.
In Egypt, special markets are said to offer cheap food for Iftar celebrations
The rise in prices also affects the population of Egypt, with more than 105 million inhabitants, the most populous country in the Arab world. As a countermeasure, the government has opened special markets, which offer discounted food before the start of Ramadan, three months earlier than usual. According to a study by the US research institute IFPRI, 85% of households surveyed in Egypt said they had eaten less meat since the start of the war in Ukraine. 75 percent said they were eating less chicken and eggs.
It is estimated that there are around 1.9 billion Muslims worldwide. Most of them live in Indonesia, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The two holiest sites in Islam, Mecca and Medina, are in Saudi Arabia.
(APA/dpa)