Wilma Kramer prepares food inside a camp for internally displaced families in Yei, South Sudan. The camp holds Nuer families who took refuge there in December 2013. The ACT Alliance is providing psycho-social services in the camp, including safe places for children to enjoy being children. Photo: ACT/Paul Jeffrey

The crisis in South Sudan has not been prominent in the main stream media news reports in the last few months.  However, based on information from our denominations, the ACT Alliance, and their South Sudanese partners, the need for humanitarian assistance and prayer is still very necessary.  In May, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada and the Anglican Church of Canada, together with their American counterparts, issued a letter of solidarity with the Church in South Sudan.

With two full meals a day, students like these in South Sudan will be able to focus on their studies rather than their empty bellies. Photo: ACT/Paul Jeffrey

The Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund has already contributed $75,000 and has recently launched a $400,000 Food Project. “Over the next few months, PWRDF, with Finn Church Aid (FCA) and the Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) will support over 10,000 people who have been forced to flee their homes by the violence in South Sudan.  The program in rural communities in Mundri County, Western Equaotria state of South Sudan will primarily support vulnerable women and children” by providing two meals a day for the next three months which will from a bridge until their planted crops are ready for harvesting.  read more

So far, the United Church of Canada has contributed $44,000 to the ACT Alliance and its Mission and Service partners.  The original United Church appeal in May provides some background on the reasons for this humanitarian emergency.  This article provides an update on the impact of the conflict as well as describing current needs.  In the page “Prayers and Solidarity with South Sudan”, there are links to a prayer, a letter from the United Church to the South Sudan Council of Churches, and a pastoral statement made by the South Sudan Council of Churches imploring the warring parties to cease the violence immediately and providing a future vision for South Sudan.

Canadian Lutheran World Relief also has a specific project, Road to Kakuma, that will assist with the transport of aid supplies from the port of Mombassa, Kenya to the Kakuma Refugee Camp in northwest Kenya, a distance of about 1300 kilometres.

Ways to Help Financially

All three of our denominations have ways to donate on-line to specifically assist the humanitarian relief efforts for the South Sudanese:
Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund of the Anglican Church in Canada [Follow the link in the article and note the drop-down menu in the donation page.]
Canadian Lutheran World Relief [for the Road to Kakuma appeal]
The United Church of Canada’s Philanthropy Unit’s Emergency Response for South Sudan

For those that prefer to not donate on-line, the sites have mailing addresses and instructions about how to identify your donation.  As well, the treasurers of our local churches will forward any South Sudan designated donations that are included in offering envelopes.

Deng Majok Makir puts a roof on a temporary shelter for his family near Ajoung Thok, South Sudan. Credit: ACT/Paul Jeffrey

 Other Ways to Help

• Learn more about this part of the world so accurate information can be shared with others. The Anglican Journal has a few articles, the most recent being from May 2014.  There is also a 2012 story in The United Church Observer.  The United Nations News Centre has a recent article about the refugee situation.
• Pray:  If words are needed, the United Church included this one in its resources.