The Archbishop of Juba has conducted an emergency meeting with all the religious groups in Juba to strategize ways of helping people flee the violence in Sudan.
The Metropolitan Archbishop of Juba Catholic Diocese, Dr. Stephen Ameyu Martin says the meeting aims at how to help priests and nuns coming from Sudan to South Sudan.
He pledged there shall be open doors for South Sudan to accommodate affected diocesan houses and congregation houses as well as priests and nuns that are coming from Sudan.
“With the letter that I addressed to all the religious communities here in the archdiocese, I have instructed that at least all of us should open our houses for our brothers who are in Sudan, that Mill Hill is there and it is running through this way and the Mill Hill Fathers should welcome them, the same thing applies to all our congregations, the White Fathers and also the Sacred Heart Nuns.”
He calls on all Catholic organizations in South Sudan to intervene in the situation of vulnerable people fleeing from Sudan.
In a phone call during the meeting, the bishop of Malakal Diocese Stephen Nyodho decried the situation of people fleeing from Sudan.
Bishop Stephen said the help from the government still remains very low because the number of people who are stranded in Ruweng is large.
“The response from the government is still very low because the reception of the people at the border is very huge and thousands of people are stranded at the Riverside in Ruweng and also in Melut.”
Caritas South Sudan at the diocese of Malakal has offered boats to make sure that they support the people cross the river to Malakal “he added.”
They are facing challenges of fuel to facilitate the transportation of the people from Ruweng and Melut to Malakal.
According to the information from the Bishop, two Catholic priests were reported to be at the border.
He called on both governments of South Sudan to work hand in hand so that the returnees and refugees are brought to the settlements
In response to the humanitarian situation, Caritas South Sudan headquarters in Juba say they are doing their best to see how they can help the vulnerable people fleeing from Sudan. Caritas South Sudan decried the conflict in Sudan and described it as unexpected.