By Adam Morrow and Khaled Moussa al-Omrani
"CAIRO, Mar 26 (IPS) - A World Bank official said this month it could take as long as "a generation" for the effects of Egypt's recent economic growth to be felt by the poorest segments of the population. But as "neo-liberal" economists urge patience, retail prices for essential foodstuffs continue to skyrocket, stretching many household salaries to breaking point.
"Prices of most basic food commodities are increasing dramatically," Nagla Badr, a 35-year-old housewife and mother of two from Cairo, told IPS. "Within the last few months alone, one kilo of rice has gone up from two Egyptian pounds (roughly 0.35 dollar) to five Egyptian pounds (about 0.90 dollar] in many places. This is simply too expensive for many families.".....
According to al-Massiri, the critical state of affairs could end up having momentous political consequences.
"Public anger is rising across the board," he said. "But this anger has to be mobilised by the opposition in order to bring about peaceful political change."
For much of the public, however, political considerations have taken a backseat to more immediate concerns.
"Ultimately, the people don't care who's in charge -- the Mubarak regime or the Islamist opposition," said Badr. "We just want leadership capable of providing the public with the bare minimum of food.""
"CAIRO, Mar 26 (IPS) - A World Bank official said this month it could take as long as "a generation" for the effects of Egypt's recent economic growth to be felt by the poorest segments of the population. But as "neo-liberal" economists urge patience, retail prices for essential foodstuffs continue to skyrocket, stretching many household salaries to breaking point.
"Prices of most basic food commodities are increasing dramatically," Nagla Badr, a 35-year-old housewife and mother of two from Cairo, told IPS. "Within the last few months alone, one kilo of rice has gone up from two Egyptian pounds (roughly 0.35 dollar) to five Egyptian pounds (about 0.90 dollar] in many places. This is simply too expensive for many families.".....
According to al-Massiri, the critical state of affairs could end up having momentous political consequences.
"Public anger is rising across the board," he said. "But this anger has to be mobilised by the opposition in order to bring about peaceful political change."
For much of the public, however, political considerations have taken a backseat to more immediate concerns.
"Ultimately, the people don't care who's in charge -- the Mubarak regime or the Islamist opposition," said Badr. "We just want leadership capable of providing the public with the bare minimum of food.""
مقتل سيدة في صراع بالأسلحة على أولوية الحصول على الخبز بطنطا
"انضمت ربة منزل بإحدى قرى مركز طنطا إلى قائمة ضحايا أزمة الخبز في مصر، بعدما دفعت حياتها ثمنًا من أجل الحصول على عشرة أرغفة، أثناء وقوفها في طابور أمام أحد أفران الخبز، فيما أحبط مجموعة من الأشخاص في وقت متأخر مساء أمس الأول، محاولة مخبز تابع للشركة العامة لمخابز القاهرة الكبرى بالمهندسين، تهريب أربعة آلاف رغيف خبز مدَّعم وثلاثة أجولة من الدقيق الفاخر لبيعها بمنطقة الشيخ زايد ...."
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