Emergency Appeal for Sudan for Soap and Food

"They would rather die of Covid-19 than hunger" is the really distressing plea delivered by Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo in Khartoum, Sudan. This shocking statement and appeals for help from church leaders throughout the Sudans has led Bishop Nicholas to launch an Emergency Appeal for the Sudans. He is asking our Diocese to give generously for this desperate need and help him raise £50,000 in a month.

Launching our Appeal with a video and a letter, Bishop Nicholas said: “Our own problems with Covid-19 in this country are significant, but our brothers and sisters in South Sudan and Sudan face even greater problems with even less resources. “The pandemic has added another frightening aspect to lives in the Sudans where ‘normal’ includes hunger and the threat of disease.”

Throughout Sudan and South Sudan, people are dying of hunger and of Covid-19. There is an urgent need for improved hygiene to help stave off the virus in a population weakened by famine. They need SOAP and FOOD, and as a Diocese we want to raise £50,000 to help provide for these 2 great needs. SOAP is used to describe everything linked to improved hygiene, which is just as important as food in fighting Covid 19, but which is lacking in so many areas. And FOOD because people who are starving are more vulnerable to the virus.

The target of £50,000 will be divided equally between the Churches in Sudan and South Sudan, with which our Diocese has been in a close and deep partnership for almost 50 years. In South Sudan, we are working with the Episcopal Church’s Relief and Development arm (‘SSUDRA’, based in Juba) to radically improve sanitation levels by the local provision of soap and water supplies. Just as in the UK, frequent and thorough hand washing is vital to maintaining safe hygiene levels during this global pandemic and beyond.

In Sudan, because of the rapid collapse of the economy, increasing numbers of people including babies and children are starving and they become weak and more vulnerable to Covid-19. So the first priority in Sudan is for the provision of basic food items. We are working directly with Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo in Khartoum. Please give generously and help us reach our target.

Go to our JustGiving page here: https://bit.ly/sudansemergency Or donate by sending a cheque (made payable to Salisbury DBF, marked ‘Sudan Appeal’ on the back) to Church House, 99 Crane St, Salisbury SP1 2QB.