South Sudan economy on the verge of collapse

1 Comment » Written on August 15th, 2012
Filed under: Disaster Relief
Tags: South Sudan

Continued violence and political unrest between Sudan and South Sudan leave many fearing the potential collapse of South Sudan’s economy and infrastructure. Because of the ongoing violence, which is mainly due to fighting over oil resources, many relief organizations and NGOs are forced to leave for safety reasons. At the same time, however, the support and resources provided by these groups are also removed from the country, even though they are desperately needed.

This is not just bad news for the country’s present situation – it is also daunting news for the country’s future. Don Golden, a spokesperson from our partner World Relief, states that, “You need 5 to 7 to 10 years, especially in a place like South Sudan. It’s not even extreme poverty. Much of South Sudan is absolute poverty. It’s a place where agencies, like World Relief, working with local churches and local communities, need peace so that they can begin to see change. That takes a long time.” When violence continues, all external support is removed from South Sudan, communities suffer greatly. Golden continued, “It means that supplementary feeding that we’ve been providing for the most malnourished is suspended. And it could, in effect, lead to, especially children, being more vulnerable and even potentially dying.”

Please continue praying for this situation in South Sudan, particularly for peace between the two countries. Another of CWR’s partners, the Covenant Church of South Sudan, tells us that food shortages have started to emerge in areas of South Sudan that border North Sudan, as North Sudan has blocked the transportation of food to the South.

In addition to praying, please consider giving to one of our projects in South Sudan: Hope for Widows and Vulnerable Children.