World Relief Plans Church-led Response to Help Sudanese Refugees

May 15, 2004 02:39 PM EDT

About 130,000 Sudanese have been relocated to a refuge camp in neighboring Chad because of the war that broke out in Darfur region in Sudan which have completely destroyed its villages and homes.

Many Christian humanitarian groups are providing emergency relief to the victims in Sudan but Chad is also in great need of aid as the number of Sudanese refugees flowing into Chad is increasing. Catholic Relief Services is already reaching out to Chad, providing food and humanitarian supplies, so is World Relief, planning on a church-led response to support depraved Chad.


World Relief will closely work with indigenous church partners through Entente des Eglises et Missions Evangeliques au Tchad (Entente) to provide health and nutrition programs and other needs such as food and clothing.

According to World Relief, hunger crisis is at its peak in Chad. The region is in need of more help as the emergency supplies, including food, are running out. The Sudanese refugees are surviving on the small amounts of food they brought with them and the Chadian families, although they are also suffering from poverty living in straw huts and mud houses, have been sharing food with the refugees.


“We are reaching our limits,” said one Chadian leader. “Our people need help.”


A recent survey revealed that almost 40 percent of the refugee children under age 5 are suffering from malnutrition. On top of food crisis, the region is also facing water crisis. People are in need of adequate water. Since the rainy season is about to begin, more Christian, non-Christian, humanitarian groups will be reaching out to Chad to help.

Meanwhile, World Vision is planning to make preparations for a rehabilitation and resettlement program once peace established in Sudan. While unable to enter Darfur at the moment, World Vision is currently providing food aid to people in southern Sudan under the protection of a United Nations-sanctioned organization called Operation Lifeline.