OMDURMAN, Sudan — For nearly a year, Randa al-Mansour, a 31‑year‑old Sudanese homemaker, has depended on rooftop solar panels to cope with the frequent outages caused by the country’s war‑damaged power network.
“We are enduring hardship,” al‑Mansour said, noting she shares a home in Omdurman, on the outskirts of Khartoum, with her three children.
“When children reach school in the morning they encounter no power, so they are sent back home where electricity is also absent, making studying in the intense heat extremely difficult,” she added.
Since April 2023, Sudan’s armed forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been locked in conflict, causing at least 59,000 fatalities—aid agencies suggest the toll may be higher—and displacing roughly 13 million people.
The fighting has further weakened an already fragile power grid, prompting many Sudanese to turn to alternative energy, particularly during the blistering summer months. The U.N. Development Programme estimates the grid’s damage at around $3 billion.
“We turned to solar power to adapt, but not every Sudanese household can afford it,” al‑Mansour said, adding that her family’s livelihood relies on remittances from her husband employed in Saudi Arabia.
Over the past few months, advertisements for solar panels, batteries and inverters have proliferated across Khartoum as an increasing number of Sudanese explore solar alternatives.
“For low‑income families, installing a solar system is a major financial burden yet often unavoidable,” said Mohey Eddin Abu‑Bark, proprietor of a Khartoum‑based solar firm, noting that a standard 10‑kilowatt residential setup runs close to $5,000.
Manahel Madany, a 43‑year‑old diabetic civil servant, cannot afford to switch to solar, even though she requires reliable refrigeration for her insulin.
“Every three to four days I must discard my entire insulin supply because the heat and frequent outages spoil it,” Madany explained.
She shares a two‑bedroom home in Omdurman with her mother and sister; like many Sudanese, the trio often sleep in the courtyard to avoid the stifling indoor temperatures.
“Many pharmacies lack the means to install solar storage for medicines, which is why essential drugs frequently disappear from shelves,” she said.
The Sudan Doctors’ Network, which monitors violence nationwide, cautioned that ongoing power cuts could endanger hospital patients, particularly those with kidney ailments requiring continuous care.
The World Bank reports that at least 30 percent of Sudanese lack electricity access, with rural communities hardest hit. Even in urban areas linked to the grid, conditions have worsened, with outages lasting as long as 16 hours in many locales over recent months, according to two anonymous electricity‑department officials who spoke to The Associated Press.
Electricity generation has fallen from 4,400 MW before the conflict to roughly 1,100 MW today, after numerous plants were struck by RSF‑launched drones; additionally, almost half of the nation’s top electrical engineers and technicians have emigrated since 2023, the officials noted, referencing a local labor‑union survey.
The officials requested anonymity, as they were not cleared to speak to the press.
Sudan enjoys vast solar potential, with sunshine exceeding 4,000 hours annually, the U.N. notes, yet the steep initial expense of imported solar systems and a weakening local currency hinder the shift to clean energy. ___
Yassir Abdullah filed this report from Shendi, Sudan.