Millions of families in Sudan, forced to flee their homes amid conflict, now face yet another urgent crisis – extreme hunger.
The people of Sudan need our help urgently. We are launching an emergency appeal for donations to get aid to them on the biggest scale we can muster.
When violence broke out last year in Sudan between government and paramilitaries, most aid agencies evacuated. Now, humanitarian workers are struggling to get back into Sudan to help, meaning severe delays in getting aid to the people, and the challenges of getting into areas where fighting is still going on remain. Many borders are shut as the government say they need to keep weapons out.
But the Church and our local partners are still there. Please, stand with them today.
The situation has gone from serious to desperate very quickly. The UN is calling it ‘the world’s worst displacement crisis’. At least 8 million people have had to flee their homes; famine looms.
“At least 25 million Sudanese need immediate, emergency help. Families are already going hungry and famine is looming. This crisis threatens to become the worst in living memory.” Telley Sadia, CAFOD’s country representative for Sudan.
Let us, as Cardinal Nichols and Bishop Swarbrick wrote recently to Cardinal Stephen Ameyu Martin Mulla, Archbishop of Juba and president of the Sudanese Bishops’ Conference, ‘extend to you the prayerful support of the Church in England and Wales and… express our solidarity with you in your current circumstances of profound distress. We have heard your cry in your recent statement, in which you reminded the international community of the need for support to bring about an end to the civil conflict and allow for immediate humanitarian access to alleviate hunger across Sudan.’
Our Caritas and Church networks are there when many aid agencies aren’t, where people are in a desperate situation. The Church in Sudan is already responding and asking us to help them do more. Even in this year of economic stretch for many people here, we know that the Catholic community will want to respond with compassion to help people facing famine.
Despite this overwhelming scale, you will have seen how media attention is limited. We are calling on the Catholic community of England and Wales to give the people of Sudan our attention, and our hearts.
Please give to CAFOD’s Sudan Crisis Appeal at cafod.org.uk/sudanappeal.
Your donation will help CAFOD’s partners to support more families with food packages and emergency cash payments as well as rebuilding water pipelines so clean water can reach communities who need it. Thank you for your generosity and prayers.
You can also text Text CAFODSUDAN to 70450 to donate £10.
Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear more from us, please text CAFODSUDANNOINFO instead.