Crisis in Sudan
Intense fighting has erupted along the border between north and south Sudan, and the people of the Nuba Mountains are caught in the crossfire.
Eyewitnesses are reporting widespread panic and suffering in central Sudan, where brutal fighting has erupted just weeks before the new nation of South Sudan gains its independence. More than 60,000 civilians have been displaced as a result of deadly airstrikes and ground attacks in the Nuba Mountains, home to many pro-south communities.
Two churches in the Nuba Mountains that were built by Samaritan's Purse have been burned in the attacks, according to reports from Christian leaders. Bombs were dropped near the town where we established a Bible school and near an airstrip that is frequently used by our aircraft.
"The churches and pastors were directly targeted," one pastor said. "My staff are scattered-we are still trying to find them. In town, there is no food or water-only troops all over the streets."
Another Christian working in the Nuba Mountains described the chaotic situation: "Warplanes are all over the state, bombarding civilians. People are running to the hills and to the bush. And what of those who cannot run-the sick, children, the elderly, and the handicapped? These people are still indoors, and some died in their houses because of the bombardment."
Southwest of the Nuba Mountains, in the contested border region of Abyei, sporadic fighting continues between the forces of the north and south. More than 100,000 people, mostly Dinka Ngok farmers, have fled to the south.
The latest violence in Sudan erupted just as South Sudan prepares for its July 9 independence day. The people of South Sudan voted in January to separate from Sudan and form a new nation.
Samaritan's Purse President Franklin Graham called for Christians around the world to unite in prayer for our Sudanese brothers and sisters. "I've been to southern Sudan many times," he said. "It's heartbreaking to think that the history of atrocities they endured may be about to repeat itself. Now more than ever, they need to know that God loves them and that we are standing with them."
Samaritan's Purse has been working in Sudan since 1993, and in recent weeks our teams have been distributing emergency supplies to people affected by the border fighting. The two churches that were burned are among more than 400 that we have constructed to replace buildings destroyed during the civil war that ended in 2005.
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Please pray for the victims of the conflict and for our teams working to help them.
Pray that there will be peace between the two nations.
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