Sudan's Gum Arabic Industry Crippled as War and Displacement Take Their Toll

Sudan's vital gum arabic industry is in crisis as the country's war displaces thousands of producers and destroys essential forests. The conflict has crippled production, once a strategic export accounting for 80 percent of global supply, raising international concerns about the use of its revenues to finance the fighting.

Aida Hassan, a gum arabic producer in Blue Nile State for over 15 years, exemplifies the widespread plight. She described fleeing her home after armed forces looted her family's harvest and property, transforming her from a self-reliant farmer into a recipient of humanitarian aid. "What we are living through is like a piece of fire," she said, her tears a stark symbol of her loss.

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What we are living through is like a piece of fire. All I have are my tears to cool its heat.

Thousands of producers have abandoned Sudan's gum arabic belt, a region spanning 13 states, with significant disruption in Kordofan and Darfur, now battlefields or under rebel control. Abkar Adouma Ahmed, head of North Darfur's gum arabic producers, reported a drastic fall in regional output to below 30,000 metric tons due to deteriorating security. "The war destroyed the gum arabic trading exchange, wiped out productive forests, and severely damaged transport routes for moving crops to market," he stated.

Awadallah Ibrahim, head of the Gum Arabic Farmers Union, estimated that roughly one million people depend on the sector. Before the war, Darfur and Kordofan produced over 70,000 metric tons annually. Now, some areas in West Kordofan produce only about 10,000 metric tons, and countless farmers have lost their livelihoods entirely, fleeing to safer regions or neighboring countries.

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The war destroyed the gum arabic trading exchange, wiped out productive forests, and severely damaged transport routes for moving crops to market.