Algerians struggle to afford Ramadan feasts as prices rise despite gov’t pledges

As Algerians fast, pray and gather for the holy month of Ramadan, a worry lurks in many minds: how to afford the holiday feasts this year.

In addition to its religious significance for billions of Muslims, Ramadan also means tables laden with rich and varied meals eaten after the muezzin’s call to break the fast at sunset.

Today, these feasts come at a cost beyond the reach of many Algerians, whose purchasing power has declined in recent years despite Algeria’s gas and oil riches, pushing more and more people below the poverty line.

Food prices have soared, and tensions at marketplaces now occasionally erupt into violence.

After Algeria was convulsed by nationwide protests in 2019, the government became concerned about broader social unrest and promised economic aid.

“In the 1970s, we didn’t earn much, but we could stock up for Ramadan and afford fresh meat, fruit, and vegetables,” Ahmed Messai, a retired railway worker, told The Associated Press at the Clauzel market in central Algiers.