SOUTH SUDAN: Diocese of Wau Lobbies for Funds to Support Victims of Sudan Conflict

Ginaba Lino

The Catholic Diocese of Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazel has started to lobby for funds from well-wishers to support the Sudanese people affected by conflict.

The financial collections are meant for war victims stranded in Sudan’s capital Khartoum as a special contribution from the church to help the needy.

Sister Betty Almendra, a member of the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS) serving in the Catholic Diocese of Wau said the faithful in all parishes have been asked to make a special collection which will be sent to Khartoum in June.

“We have organized three special collections during Mass. All the lay faithful are being asked to contribute, and then we will gather the money and send it to Khartoum in the first or second week of June.”

Sister Almemdra CMS believes that the faithful “will offer real assistance to the people who are stuck and stranded in Khartoum, or those who have manage to go out to the neighboring countries.

Sister Almemdra said there is already a positive response from among the faithful to the call made by Bishop Matthew Remijio Adam last week, requesting South Sudanese to support their brothers and sisters suffering in Sudan.

“The Bishop asked us to help our brothers and sisters from Khartoum. He addressed the request to all of us – priests, religious, and laypeople. The message is one of solidarity with the people of Khartoum,” she says.

According to the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management in South Sudan Albino Akol Atak, over 73,700 people who crossed the border to South Sudan are in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

Minister Akol briefed President Salva Kiir on the humanitarian situation of refugees and returnees on Friday last week.

Hundreds fled to South Sudan due to conflict in Sudan to Renk and Paloch areas of Upper State.

Akol said plans are underway to evacuate the refugees and returnees from Renk and other entry points using boats and other means of transport.

The Minister added that they have started evacuating the returnees from Renk to Wau and other parts of the country, despite the financial constraints hindering the evacuation process.

However, President Kiir directed the Ministry of Finance to fund the process.

He acknowledged the support given by humanitarian partners in welcoming the returnees and refugees into South Sudan.

According to the officials, thousands of people continue to flee the conflict in Sudan as fighting intensifies in various parts of the country.

The battle between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) started six weeks ago and has led to a collapse in law and order, with looting blame on each other. Stocks of food, cash, and essentials are rapidly dwindling.

Since the war broke out in Sudan last month, more than a million people have reportedly been displaced by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary force under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.

Recent index shows that 843,000 people have been internally displaced while 250,000 people have crossed Sudan’s borders to other countries including Ethiopia, Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.

After the succession of South Sudan in 2011 following decades of wars between Sudan and South Sudan, many South Sudanese remained in Sudan, and those in South Sudan have relatives in Sudan. As a result, Sudan and South Sudan as neighboring countries continue to share many things.

Also, the Catholic Churches in South Sudan has shown interest in supporting and hosting refugees from Sudan as a way of standing in solidarity with the Sudanese people.