Sudan: fighting causes food crisis in South Kordofan and Blue Nile
Children carry their family's belongings as they flee fighting in South Kordofan [REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic - courtesy of alertnet]
Archbishops call for peace and protection of civilians
Please pray for peace in Sudan and South Sudan>>
Ongoing fighting is leading to severe food shortages in South Kordofan and Blue Nile states in Sudan. According to the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (FEWS NET), half a million people are affected by the fighting, and more than 200,000 people in South Kordofan now face very severe food shortages.
Many families have been forced from their homes by the conflict – often with little money and very few possessions. Away from their land, it’s extremely difficult for them to plant crops. Food prices and inflation are also high because of restrictions on trade, loss of oil revenue and limited food supplies.
According to the UN, more than 200,000 people have fled into South Sudan or Ethiopia, and the number of people crossing the borders is growing in a daily basis.
In a joint Pastoral letter, the Anglican and Catholic Archbishops of Sudan and South Sudan said:
“We are… concerned that there is no end in sight to Sudan's three civil wars, in Darfur, the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile. There is no military solution; we call on all parties to enter meaningful negotiations. We also call for immediate international humanitarian access to all these areas.”
CAFOD’s Neil Thorns said: “CAFOD supporters across England and Wales have been working and praying fervently for peace in Sudan for more than two decades. Our supporters’ voices were among the loudest, calling for international action to secure and guarantee that peace. Now, at this dangerous moment, we must all pray again for peace and safety for the people of Sudan and South Sudan.”
