The Free Homeland Popular Front, together with the 6 April reform movement and the Young Men for Justice and Development Group, are planning to hold twin vigils in Cairo and Alexandria next Monday to protest rising food prices. Protesters will hold empty plates and spoons and hoist banners reading “We're Hungry,” according to organizers. Front spokesman Essam el-Sherif said his organization planned to stage a series of additional vigils in various districts of Cairo to express its rejection of the country's deteriorating economic and social situation. Egypt‘s annual urban inflation rate edged up to 10.7 per cent in June, up from 10.5 per cent in May. Economists expect inflation to continue rising in August and September on the back of higher consumer spending during the summer holidays and ahead of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. In a related development, Al-Azhar Grand Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb has ordered that the financial assistance provided to low-income citizens by Al-Azhar would be doubled to help them cope with rising food prices. The move will bring the total amount granted by the institution every year to orphans, widows and those in need of medical treatment to LE40 million. Al-Azhar plans to begin disbursing the funds on a daily basis to some 80,000 beneficiaries during the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan, which will begin next week. Translated from the Arabic Edition.
