The Sudanese pound has lost nearly half its value in army-held territory since the start of summer, deepening pressure on civilians and complicating authorities’ efforts to project normalcy and revive the economy. The pound traded at about 7,500 per dollar on the black market on Tuesday, compared with 4,100 in May and roughly 600 before the war. The official rate is no longer updated by the central bank, while Bank of Khartoum, Sudan’s largest bank, offers 4,200 pounds per dollar. The currency crisis reflects an economic partition created by the war between Sudan’s armed forces and the Rapid Support Forces, which began nearly 3-1/2 years ago. Many major sources of exports, including gold, livestock, oilseeds and gum arabic, are produced in areas controlled by the RSF, while the army-aligned authorities face shortages of foreign currency and revenue. Sudan’s official gold sector reported producing 70 tons last year, but the central bank recorded only 14.7 tons in exports. Suliman Baldo, head of the Sudan Transparency and Policy Tracker, said some production in army-held territory is diverted to weapons purchases or patronage networks. Importers are using black-market dollars to pay for essentials such as fuel and wheat as returning displaced people push up demand. About 5 million of the 14 million people displaced by the war have returned, mainly to areas retaken by the armed forces, according to the International Organization for Migration. Rising prices are reducing sales and leaving some stores with empty shelves. A litre of cooking oil rose from 17,000 pounds to 23,000 in one week, while some shopkeepers reported sales declines of up to 70%.