Rising food costs hamper Senegal Ramadan traditions
NGOUDA DIONE THERE was no meat in the large silver bowl around which Astou Mandiang and her family gathered after breaking fast at nightfall in Senegal's capital Dakar, where Muslims celebrating the holy month of Ramadan are feeling the pinch of inflation. Food prices in West Africa have shot up by between 20% and 30% over the past five years, with drought and conflict pushing millions off farmland and stalling food production, aid agencies say. At the same time, border closures during the pandemic have disrupted supply chains. The war in Ukraine is likely to add even more pressure on…