tribesofsinai2024

A year ago one could get twelve pieces of flat round freshly baked bread for ten Egyptian Pounds. Today one receives just six significantly smaller pieces for the same price. 

At the top end in Cairo, business seems to be thriving. Businesspeople and people with hard currency simply pay the difference. Yet for many who rely on a fixed salary such rapid increases in the cost of living make it very hard to feed their families and have hope for the future.  

Egypt has become dependent on imports, such as wheat, which cost far more than their exports. The war in Ukraine and the economic sanctions imposed on Russia have exasperated the situation by increasing prices for these commodities. Egypt’s trade deficit and debt repayments cause ongoing inflation and devaluation of the Egyptian Pound. The demand for hard currency is high. 

Egypt receives hard currency primarily from its exports. Her second biggest source of dollars is from Egyptians abroad sending money home, followed by tourism and the Suez Canal transit fees. The current instability and war seriously reduce the latter two streams of income. 

The Egyptian government is trying to increase dollar exports. At the same Egypt has agreed to exchange goods with BRICS trade partners such as China, UAE, Saudi Arabia, India and Turkey with local currencies. The aim is to become less dependent on the dollar. 

On the upside, Egypt is now able to exchange wheat from China and India with local currency. The downside is that except for Turkey Egypt imports more from each of these nations than she exports. Thus Egypt is becoming more indebted and dependent on these rich Asian and Arab nations. 

The price of bread is critical for Egypt and her citizens. It is not usually injustice and corruption in themselves that triggers rebellion, but when people do not have enough to eat. 

While travelling through the Sinai desert the children of Israel talked together of all the wonderful food they enjoyed in good old Egypt and accused Moses of bringing them into the desert to die. ‘’There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into the desert to starve this entire assembly to death.’’^[1]

Fortunately, the Lord intervened at the critical moment and provided manna and quail for the whole community. Jebeliya Bedouin around Mount Sinai have told me that during the COVID crisis when no tourists were coming, extra rain came. People were able to live once more from their flocks and the fruits and greens that grew in their gardens. 

Reflection

How grateful are you for daily food and a full stomach? 

Who is enjoying the current world economic system and who is feeling alienated or exploited? 

Prayer 

For wisdom, courage, and trustworthy allies for President Sisi and his government. They seem to be navigating a treacherous path between feeding their people and maintaining their independence and freedom from the nations they are indebted to. 

For the Lord to provide in wonderful ways for those who are hungry today. 

For people to turn to the Bread of Life to find life and grace amid economic forces beyond their control.  

^[1] Exodus 16:3.