As Algerians observe Ramadan, many are finding it increasingly difficult to afford the traditional feasts that mark the breaking of the fast each evening. Despite the country's oil and gas wealth, rising food prices and declining purchasing power have pushed more people below the poverty line.
At the Clauzel market in Algiers, retired railway worker Ahmed Messai recalled that in the 1970s, even modest incomes allowed families to stock up for Ramadan with fresh meat, fruit and vegetables. Today, prices have soared: onions rose from 45 to 100 dinars per kilo in two days, while carrots sell for 150 dinars, peppers for 200, and green beans for 550 dinars.
The government has promised measures to ease the burden, including importing 144,000 sheep and 46,000 cattle. President Abdelmadjid Tebboune has also pledged to raise the minimum wage from 20,000 to 24,000 dinars, increase pensions by 5-10%, and boost unemployment benefits for graduates. However, critics note that the average salary of 42,800 dinars (about $330 officially) is insufficient.
Civil society has stepped in, with “mercy restaurants” offering free meals. The Algerian Red Crescent serves up to 800 meals daily in a tent in Algiers. Academic Hocine Zairar observed that while such solidarity is commendable, the proliferation of these eateries highlights the growing poverty in the country.
President Tebboune acknowledged the crisis, stating that the middle class, once the pride of Algeria, is being decimated. Professor Redouane Boudjema suggested that the government's Ramadan aid is an effort to maintain social peace and absorb political anger over restrictions on freedoms.
