The Catholic Diocese of Wau, in Western Bahr El Ghazel has started lobbying for funds to support the people affected by conflict in Sudan.
The financial collections are meant for war victims stranded in Sudan’s capital Khartoum as a special contribution from the church to help those in need.
A member of the Comboni Missionary Sisters (CMS) serving in the Catholic Diocese of Wau, Sr. Beta Almendra says the faithful at all parishes have been requested to give a special collection, which will be sent to Khartoum in June.
“We have organized three special collections at Masses. All the lay faithful are being asked to contribute, and then we will gather the money and send it to Khartoum in the first or second week of June,” she stated.
Sister Almemdra added that “Faithful can always offer real assistance to the people who are stuck and stranded in Khartoum, or those who have gotten out.”
The CMS member says that the faithful are responding positively to the appeal made by Bishop Matthew Remijio Adam last week requesting South Sudanese to support their brothers and sisters suffering in Sudan.
“The Bishop asked us to help our brothers from Khartoum. He addressed the request to all of us, priests, religious, and laypeople. The message is one of solidarity with Khartoum and with the people of Khartoum,” she says.
Since the war broke out in Sudan last month, more than a million people have reportedly been displaced by the ongoing conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) under General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the paramilitary force under General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo.
The recent index shows that 843,000 multitudes have been internally displaced and 250,000 people have crossed Sudan’s borders to other countries including Ethiopia, Egypt, Chad, and South Sudan.
After the succession of South Sudan in 2011 following decades of wars between Sudan and South Sudan, many South Sudanese remained in Sudan, and those in South Sudan have relatives in Sudan.
As a result, Sudan and South Sudan as neighboring countries continue to share many things. commonalities.
The Catholic Churches in South Sudan have shown interest in supporting and hosting refugees from Sudan as a way of standing in solidarity with the Sudanese people.