Situation
On April 15th, 2023, an armed conflict broke out in the capital city of Sudan, Khartoum. The conflict is a result of rising tensions between the country’s military and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces. The rival factions are led by former allies, Gen. Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and Gen. Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo, who initiated the fighting following disputes surrounding power distribution. The Associated Press recently reported that over 600 civilians have been killed and 5,100 have been injured due to the conflict. According to the UN, 700,000 individuals have been internally displaced and 120,000 have fled to neighboring countries due to the fighting. Of these 120,000 individuals, over 98,000 have fled to Egypt.
CWS Response:
CWS’ partner in Egypt, St. Andrews Refugee Services, known as StARS, is preparing to support the Sudanese families requesting assistance. The top three needs StARS will address are housing, food and medical needs. In response to medical needs, StARS will purchase medication for chronic diseases to be distributed to StARS program participants. StARS is also working closely with UNHCR to advocate for Sudanese individuals seeking asylum.
How to Help:
To support CWS emergency response efforts, donations can be made online or sent to Church World Service (P.O. Box 968, Elkhart, IN 46515).