Who We Are

 

The refugee camp operated by Samaritan's Purse in Yida, South Sudan, was bombed by the government of Sudan at approximately 3:20 p.m. local time on November 10.

 

Over 23,000 people are living in the camp in the northernmost part of Unity State, after being displaced by fighting across the border in the Nuba Mountains of South Kordofan State.

Four bombs are reported to have been dropped. One bomb fell on a schoolhouse, but thankfully it did not explode. Another hit the marketplace, and two others fell on the fringe of the camp.

 

All of Samaritan’s Purse staff have been accounted for and are safe. They have not been able to confirm any casualties among the refugees.

 

Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham, who visited the camp six days before the bombing, called for the world to take action in the immediate aftermath of the attack. "My prayer is that the world will not just sit by and watch and hope for the best like they did during Rwanda, where close to a million people were massacred. We need to make it clear to the government of Sudan that attacks on innocent people will not be tolerated.”

 

The bombing occurred as the United Nations agency UNMIS was delivering about 12 metric tons of food, about one day’s ration for the camp population. Workers were unloading a helicopter carrying the food aid for distribution by Samaritan’s Purse.

 

“We're trying to help the refugees, to save their lives," Graham said. "The Nuba people are once again facing the horror of brutal persecution. They are in urgent need of our prayers and support. They need churches standing with them, because this is an atrocity."

Since early August, a Samaritan's Purse DC-3 cargo plane from the US has been airlifting tons of food and other supplies to the refugees, who are stranded in a swampy area in Unity State near the border between South Sudan and Sudan. The camp has been accessible only by plane because the rainy season washed out the roads. Samaritan’s Purse has had to airdrop food into the area for the first few weeks until a clear landing strip could be cleared for the plane.

The Samaritan's Purse team at the camp has distributed more than 420 tons of food staples, with material support from the UN’s World Food Program. We have also provided temporary shelter, medical care, and other assistance to the growing number of refugees.