Egypt's middle class is struggling to afford basic goods as IMF-backed reforms take hold, eroding their purchasing power. The reforms, which include a liberal currency exchange market and reducing subsidies, have led to an increase in prices of goods once considered necessities. Fuel prices have been hiked three times this year as part of the conditions for an $8 billion IMF loan program. The country's economic crisis has been exacerbated by mounting foreign debt, attacks on the Suez Canal, and the war in Gaza. Economists argue that the reforms should be implemented more gradually to mitigate the impact on people's living conditions.