News

2022 At Risk to Become Worst Food Insecurity Year in South Sudan

February 17, 2022

2021 became the worst food insecurity year for South Sudan since the budding nation’s ten-year independence. Devastating floods worsened already dismal economic and agricultural conditions that have plagued the country through years of civil unrest and lack of government aid.

Record-level flooding in 2021 – the worst in 60 years – killed livestock in the hundreds of thousands and buried farmlands and crops under several feet of water. Impassable roads impeded producers from bringing any available commodities to market and disrupted efforts by people to reach them.

Massive displacement of flood victims, now left homeless, have added to the mounting crisis and increasing food shortage.

“We’re eating leaves and look like skeletons,” one 60-year-old man told the AP. Displaced families in another district reported that ground-up water lilies were their only daily meal.

“No one’s looking out for the people,” said Byinj Erngst, who is the health minister in the Upper Nile state.

Preliminary reports by aid groups show nearly 8.5 million people of the country’s 12 million residents will face severe hunger this year, an 8% increase over last year’s already calamitous figure. Adding to the problem is the ongoing conflict between rebel militias and government forces in South Sudan’s southwestern region, known as the country’s breadbasket.

“If this country was really at peace, there wouldn’t be hunger like there is now,” said a 36-year-old mother from the hard hit Jonglei state, who waits for assistance at a hospital with her malnourished one-year-old daughter.

Her sentiments echo nationwide frustrations by citizens who have continually suffered the fallout of unresolved turmoil and breached peace agreements within the nation’s divided government. Meanwhile, health workers in northern Malakal report the number of malnourished children coming to their health center has more than doubled in the past twelve months.

In visits to three South Sudanese states in December, civilians and government officials shared their concerns to the AP that people are beginning to die of starvation. In the hardest hit area of Fangak County, aid representatives estimate some 30,000 people remain in a state of famine. Read more at AP News.

Children Return to St. Bakhita’s Orphanage Following Stay in Refugee Camp

February 10, 2022

Challenges continue for Sister Bianca Bii and the children of St. Bakhita’s Orphanage. But by the grace of God and goodness of supporters, they are faring with conditions and adjusting to circumstances as needed. Throughout their struggles, Sister Bianca has been stalwart and faithful to stay by the children’s side.

When rebel forces unexpectedly tore through Tombura Yambio in September, Sister Bianca and the children fled the orphanage grounds to a refugee camp that was spontaneously set up for displaced people escaping the violence. Sister Bianca has been caring for the children there ever since.

As the security situation became relatively calm, and the sheer number of refugees at the camp grew overwhelming, Sister Bianca recently made the decision to move the children back to the orphanage, where they are currently living. When they arrived, they found the structure intact, but rebels had vandalized some of the facilities, including the batteries and the clean water pump.

Sister Bianca and the children presently have about one month’s worth of food and supplies. These are stretched thin, as she is also caring for elderly men and women who were left behind during the initial turmoil and came to the orphanage for refuge. The orphanage’s volunteers and caretakers also scattered at the onset of the violence. Since then, Sister Bianca has single handedly taken care of all the children along with the elderly who came to her for help.

We are sending a food delivery to St. Bakhita’s this week by plane. But the children still lack clean water, and they don’t go to the river as it is too far and the trip too risky. Their other most pressing needs include additional food supplies, clothing for the children, and medicines for the children.

We are grateful for your ongoing prayers for Sister Bianca and all those in her care. Your support continues to be a crucial component in their well-being and cannot be underestimated. We thank you for standing by her side and standing with these children. It is accurate to say they would not be coming through these crises without you.

We will continue to share updates with you and news of their progress. Thank you again for being the hand of help reaching out to St. Bakhita’s Orphanage and the children whose lives you are blessing.

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Hanan

February 8, 2022

Nearly Comatose Young Woman Makes it to Medical Help Just in Time

Each person who helps support our work through donations, prayers, or volunteering on the ground is a hero in their own right. Just ask Hanan, a 20-year-old woman who wouldn’t be here to share her story without your support.

“Dr. Tom, plus his team and the generous donors who are behind the scenes, are our heroes,” she proclaimed, as Hanan recounted the story of the timely medical intervention that spared her young life.

Hanan is a high school student from Sarbule, who began to suffer from upper back pain a year ago. She visited clinics in the Kakuma Refugee Camp several times. Unfortunately, nothing helped and her pain continued to worsen.

Hanan’s older brother was able to take her on the long trip to Mother of Mercy Hospital. There, Hanan was seen by Dr. Tom and his staff. She was admitted immediately and underwent a series of tests. Hanan was suffering from such severe diabetes she had almost fallen into a coma. Diabetes mellitus, her diagnosis, can cause heart attack, heart failure, stroke, kidney failure, and coma. Without treatment it can become fatal.

Hanan began receiving a series of injections to reduce her high blood sugar. Now, Hanan is stable and looking forward to returning to school and her life as a young adult. “I am really happy,” she reports. “The back pain has been reduced greatly and I am generally much better.” She spoke of the heroes who are the medical team and supporters who make their work possible, as she expressed, “May God bless the work of your hands.”

Mother of Mercy Hospital in the remote Nuba Mountains is the only facility of its kind for many hours in each direction, serving a population of over a million people. Your help makes lives saved stories like this possible.

Would you like to pray for us? Lifting Up South Sudan is a group of people helping transform lives in South Sudan through the power of prayer. You’ll receive a new prayer request weekly by email. You’ll be part of a vital team praying to bring light and hope to this despondent part of the world. To learn more or sign up to receive prayer requests, go here.

Bishop Kussala Urges Conversion and Dialog as Path To Peace in Wake of Sudan Military Takeover

January 12, 2022

Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Tombura Yambio in South Sudan, Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala, issued a message urging reconciliation and avoidance of human rights violations, in the wake of aggression by military forces who seized power in the northern nation of Sudan in October.

The nation of Sudan was approaching a deadline to turn their transitional government over to civilian rule when the military instead detained the interim prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, among numerous others, and claimed control under the leadership of military general, Abdel Fattah Al-Burhan. Since that time the country has remained under military command.

In his Solidarity Message of Hope and Courage to the people, Bishop Kussala said, “We have been saddened by the event which has befallen you during these last days, where armed confrontations with civilians have erupted in the Capital of Sudan, Khartoum. This is not good news for us, neither for you or any peace lover.”

The Interfaith Council for Peace Initiative reports that “scores of people” have been killed or injured, as civilians took to the streets to protest the violation of the peace agreement that kept Sudan a comparatively free country since the 2019 ousting of former president Omar Al-Bashir. Bashir’s presidency was marked with a history of brutality and disregard for human rights.

“Such heart-rending scenes of innocent lives dying in the streets wound the conscience of a nation,” said Bishop Kussala, who implored “let the Sudan sacred ground not be soaked once more in fraternal blood. The sadness of parents burying their children has to stop.”

Bishop Kussala, who himself was raised in displacement camps, has been a prominent voice campaigning for peace in the region for years. He stressed how the area’s humanitarian situation is already precarious with many people lacking basic supplies due to COVID complications, and to avoid exacerbating the difficulties with violence.

The bishop exhorted the people to pray and fast for reconciliation and conversion of hearts while the nation struggles with a sense of despair following the military coup. “This is a time for prayer. This is a time for fasting. This is a time for conversion for all in this country,” he said.

Bishop Kussala further called for a spirit of true and honest dialog as a path forward, and shared passages from the Qu’ran showing that its teachings also forbid aggressive warfare and admonish peace.

Nasra

January 11, 2022

Being a forty year-old mother of a large family is a busy job, and as any mother knows, there is no time to be sick. For Nasra, the trouble began when she was weeding the garden one day at her home in the town of Tajura, and accidentally pricked her hand on a sharp piece of wood. Nasra found a sliver embedded in her finger – most of which she was able to remove, but not quite all.

As the days passed, rather than healing, she began to experience increasing pain from the injured area. Nasra tried to treat her finger with a warm sponge, but neither the pain nor the swelling was reduced.

She sought help at a local health clinic, where they drained fluid from the affected finger, but instead of reducing her pain and swelling, Nasra’s symptoms continued to escalate. Soon she was overwhelmed with headaches and dizziness, in addition to the excruciating pain of her injury.

At that point Nasra was transported by motorbike to Mother of Mercy Hospital, where she was examined and immediately taken to the operating room to drain infectious fluid from her finger. Over two days’ time it was determined Nasra’s infection had progressed too far and a portion of the injured finger had to be removed to save her from further illness. Dr. Tom Catena, the medical director and sole surgeon at Mother of Mercy Hospital, performed the surgery.

Open wounds like Nasra’s can unfortunately allow hostile bacteria to enter the body, and if left unchecked can lead to sepsis, a type of blood poisoning, quickly turning fatal.

Following the surgery, Nasra reports she is feeling greatly improved and her pain has reduced considerably. She is thankful to be recovering from what could have been a life threatening scenario had she not come to Mother of Mercy Hospital for treatment.

“I am grateful to have been treated and I am much better,” Nasra shared. “God bless Dr. Tom and his colleagues, and all those who help the poor like us in the Nuba Mountains.”

The Flooding Crisis Continues

December 21, 2021

We wanted to share the following letter from Noeleen Loughran, missionary nurse and Sudan Relief Fund partner on the ground, who provided this update on the status of the flooding crisis in South Sudan.

“The people, especially in the Lakes State, are suffering deeply at this time. The flooding has displaced thousands of men, women, and children who are all fleeing their homes that collapsed due to the heavy rains.

The people themselves carried what little they had on top of their heads, and in some cases walked 30 to 40 miles to escape the flood waters. All of their homes have been submerged or destroyed, and all of their crops lost. Even the livestock have died.

As people walk through the deep waters to reach areas of safety, many have been killed on the way by poisonous snakes that hide in the floodwaters of these woodlands. The people come in by the thousands, exhausted by the long journey to dry land, only to arrive where they have no food or assistance. At this moment, thousands are sleeping under trees with absolutely no shelter from the monsoon-like rains.

Serious sickness and death is occurring mainly from malaria, as the people have no protection from the vast numbers of mosquitoes brought by the heavy rains and standing water. Many areas cannot be reached by road, but only by chopper. No help has reached the people yet, and fear looms for a great loss of life if aid does not come quickly.

Children lie on their mother’s knees in great sickness and pain. I myself feel so desperate for these people, as the rain beats down heavy on my bedroom roof. Medicine, food, mosquito nets, and plastic sheeting are badly needed to save the lives of the many thousands suffering this terrible plight. We continue to pray for those here, as we do everything we can to try to find assistance for them.

Please help those here in any way that you can. And keep them in your constant prayers, as we fight to save the lives of so many here in Rumbek, the Lake State, and all of the neighboring areas.”

-Noeleen Loughran

If you would like to send emergency relief supplies to thousands in jeopardy from the massive flooding in South Sudan, please go here. Your gift will help prevent deaths from starvation and malaria right now.

Catholic University Joins Annual Day of Catholic Schools To Celebrate Education for the Promotion of Peace

December 20, 2021

Students from around the diocese of Tombura Yambio gathered for the annual Day of Catholic Schools – a day when all schools within the diocese program from pre-primary through higher education, including Catholic University, come together to mark the special occasion.

The annual celebration focuses on the purpose of education and its ultimate aim to raise up people who serve God and community with courage and integrity. Said ad interim Vicar General of the diocese, Fr. Charles Tombe, “We are united by God for the mission of bringing peace to people,” adding that students are being educated to become competent individuals who work for unity and love for all humanity in the future.

Despite being in the midst of many humanitarian challenges, the celebration was still held with the objective of spreading hope and confidence throughout the shaken state of Western Equatoria. “Despite the challenges, it is important to focus on what we want to be,” said the vicar general. “We can fulfill ourselves only if we work for the peace that comes from God.”

In fitting with the message, this year’s theme of the Annual Day of Catholic Schools was “School Children – We Are for Peace.” The event kicked off with a collective gathering in Yambio’s Freedom Square in the morning, followed by a march through the city to the Parish of St. Mary Mother of God. Students from five schools of higher education, eight secondary schools, 28 primary schools, and 24 nursery schools all participated the annual event.

Seton Hall University and Catholic University of South Sudan Announce Partnership for Peace

December 17, 2021

The Catholic University of South Sudan is pleased to announce their entrance into a partnership with renowned Seton Hall University – a fellow member of the International Federation of Universities and one of the oldest Catholic universities in the United States.

Seton Hall is located in the state of New Jersey and is consistently ranked among the top colleges in the United States. The partnership between the two educational institutions was announced on November 3^rd.

“For a university rich of tradition and records of excellence to partner with a new emerging and promising university is no doubt motivated by the genuine spirit of fraternity and solidarity of Catholic Universities of the universal Church,” said Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala of the Diocese of Tombura-Yambio, in a prepared statement. Bishop Kussala is the patron of the Catholic University of South Sudan St. John’s Yambio campus. A sister campus is located in Juba, the nation’s capital.

The association is expected to include collaborative research efforts, student and faculty exchanges, and conversations between the two institutions on issues such as peace and sustainability, as well as ignite new course offerings and student internship opportunities.

Said Katia Passerini, who is provost and executive vice president of Seton Hall, “We foresee expert discussions on peace, reconciliation and sustainability; internship opportunities for students; development of new specialized courses, conferences, publications that will help build a culture of dialogue, peace, and reconciliation in South Sudan.”

Peace has indeed been elusive for the youngest country of the world, which celebrated its tenth anniversary in 2021. On the heels of South Sudan’s newfound independence in 2011, civil war broke out as early as 2013 among warring leadership factions and continued for five years. In 2018, a fragile peace agreement was reached, which has proved to be fractured at best, with violent conflicts arising in the country even this past year.

The war-weary nation has suffered great loss of infrastructure and lives, and many civic and religious leaders continue to push for promoting a culture and consciousness of peace and brotherhood in their country. Educational institutions such as the Catholic University of South Sudan are a good place to start as gamechangers for their nation.

“The exchange of faculty, students and staff between Seton Hall University and the University of South Sudan might provide fresh answers to peaceful and sustainable solutions for the people of South Sudan,” said Father Colin Kay, Vice President of Mission and Ministry for Seton Hall.

Ines Murzaku, Director of Catholic Studies at Seton Hall, supported the concept. In an interview with the Catholic News Agency, Murzaku commented that “If politics fails, brotherhood and the peace of hearts will win, which reminds of Colossians 3:15 ‘let the peace of Christ control your hearts.’”

The International Federation of Catholic Universities, which gave rise to the partnership between Seton Hall and Catholic University of South Sudan, is an organization comprised of more than 200 Catholic universities around the globe.

The Children of St. Bakhita’s Orphanage Are Safe

December 14, 2021

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of Sister Bianca Bii and the children of St. Bakhita’s Orphanage.

As we shared with you, Sister Bianca and the children were evacuated in September from the orphanage grounds due to attacks by a violent militia group that swept through portions of Tombura Yambio. Sister Bianca stayed with the children until assistance could arrive to move them all to a safe place.

Since then, they have been living in an area shared with other families displaced by the attacks, in a temporary refugee camp environment. The local church, humanitarian organizations, our partners and you – our faithful supporters – have been working to provide for them under their recent circumstances.

Our partners on the ground report Sister Bianca and the children remain safe and well, and a recent shipment of both food supplies and non-food items for Sister Bianca and the orphans was sent to them by plane. You can listen to Sister Bianca’s message of thanks and see a video here:

Father Avelino shared that little by little people are adapting to their new environment and daily living conditions. Many have built their own shelters and decided to stay in the area, and a spirit of cooperation has prevailed between the different peoples coming together.

Now as they consider a longer term scenario, a community meeting was held where parcels of land were designated for the refugees. In cooperation, the local Sultan assigned areas where refugees could obtain grass to build their shelters. Local farmers have supplied the displaced with fresh fruits and vegetables.

Representatives from the refugees conveyed their appreciation to the mission and to the local people for welcoming them. Many of the people who have decided to stay have expressed interest in engaging in work projects to generate income, such as construction projects for the church or local schools.

We are grateful for the current wellbeing of the children of St. Bakhita’s, for Sister Bianca’s unending commitment to their care, and for your generosity and dedication to help the fatherless in all their circumstances. Please continue to lift them up in prayer, that peace, safety, and good health will prevail.