Sudan Still in Dire Straits

Monday, October 30, A.D. 2006

It is difficult to imagine how something as horrific, inhumane, and godless as genocide can happen. Yet it is happening – still – in the Sudan. Week of Compassion has been faithfully responding to the overwhelming needs in Darfur since the situation erupted. We have provided tens of thousands of families with food, water, medicine, sanitation, counseling, and shelter. But we still need your help. 500 people are dying per day.

In the Darfur region of this vast African country (“Darfur” refers to the entire western part of the Sudan, bordering Chad), the lives of 400,000 innocent civilians have already been taken, and there are now 2.5 million displaced. There are literally millions of people who are at risk of dying not only because of the ongoing violent attacks, but also due to starvation and curable diseases. The UN calls Darfur the world’s worst humanitarian disaster and Elie Wiesel calls it the “world’s capital of suffering". The Government of Sudan has unleashed the Janjaweed armed militias across the Darfur region. These Arab tribal militias use rape and other brutal tactics to ethnically cleanse the Darfurians. Hasn’t the world seen this before? The Holocaust? Bosnia? Rwanda?

So how can you help us continue to respond to this appalling situation?

In addition to urging your congresspersons and senators to stop the genocide in the Sudan, Week of Compassion asks you to join the Dear Sudan Campaign. Dear Sudan is a grassroots, community-based campaign whose goals are to aid the 2.5 million displaced Sudanese and to end the genocide in Darfur. 5,000 refugees die each month in camps in Sudan and Chad. Dear Sudan is a simple idea. A community raises enough funds to feed for one day the number of Sudanese refugees equivalent to its own population. Each Sudanese refugee requires 16 cents per day for food provided through a program run by Church World Service. For example, the town of Petaluma, California raised enough money to feed 55,000 refugees in Sudan for one day – (the population of Petaluma, California is 55,000) - which meant they raised a total of $8,800.

Friends, I am pleading with you to do the same. Rally your congregation, church group, community, or entire town to join the Dear Sudan campaign, or simply send donations designated for the Sudan to Week of Compassion. You can also download the 4-week Study Guide for the Season of Lent on Ending Genocide in Sudan. This is a free, very accessible and very helpful guide for adult Christian education groups, youth groups, or entire congregations to follow.

As the relief, refugee, and development ministry fund of our church, we have a responsibility – a moral obligation – to respond to the ongoing, horrific genocide and humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Let us not be a church that stands back and watches this happen yet again.

Map for Congregations

For the latest additions to the WOC interactive map/poster, click here. For a complimentary copy of the WOC map/poster for your congregation, contact Elaine Cleveland at 317.713.2442 or ecleveland@woc.disciples.org.