Disaster relief for South Sudanese refugees

‘People are suffering from thirst’ – South Sudanese fugitives looking for safety arrive in places where there is not enough water, very little food and hardly any provisions such as medical supplies. Some South Sudanese fugitives in South Sudan, Uganda or Ethiopia have nothing besides the clothes they wear. Four organisations from the Christian Disaster Relief Cluster – Dorcas, Red een Kind, Woord en Daad and ZOA –  have joined together to urge people in the Netherlands to do something for these fugitives.

Since the fights between the government and the rebels in South Sudan broke out on 15 December, nearly one million South Sudanese people have been forced to flee. Their situations vary from alarming to life threatening; water shortage, food and medical supplies put vulnerable groups at risk, especially young children, pregnant women and the elderly. Starvation is posing a real threat for three million people in South Sudan.

The first relief activities have already begun, such as het provision of water by trucks and the construction of latrines to prevent contagious diseases. People are suffering and they urgently need help. The Christian Disaster Relief Cluster wants to offer this much needed relief in South Sudan, Uganda and Ethiopia. The aid, aimed at both disaster relief and long-term rehabilitation, will be implemented by local partner organisations and the organisations’ field offices.

09 May 2014