How Covid Has Created a Food Shortage in South Sudan

For the past several months, the Covid-19 pandemic has been impacting the world, leaving behind a wake of death, economic turmoil, and hopelessness. What many people do not realize is that Covid is also taking a significant toll on food reserves, and many regions are expecting massive waves of hunger soon, especially South Sudan.

Starving children waiting for food relief in Juba.

Juba, the capital of South Sudan, has been in the center of violence for many years due to an ongoing civil war. Due to the fighting, people have been fleeing their homes in the country to take refuge in camps inside of the city for safety. Unable to access their fields or farms, many of these refugees have become dependent on food given to them by relief agencies.

Because of growing food scarcity, South Sudan’s food prices are skyrocketing, making it difficult for a majority of citizens to afford even the most basic meals. Heavy rainfall in 2019 added to the food shortage by flooding and destroying crops and killing much livestock. By the start of 2020, more than six million people were in a status of food insecurity, meaning they couldn’t get their necessary daily nutritional requirements.

Ever since the onset of Covid-19’s spread, food has become even harder to come by. Staple foods’ prices jumped 25 percent, while a government imposed lockdown caused local food stalls to shut down, making it even more difficult for citizens to get their food. Each day, more people are finding themselves relying on little to no food, and as Covid continues to spread with no end in sight, food shortages and hunger are getting worse.

Tonight, thousands of children will go to bed starving. The good news is that you can prevent this from happening with your generous gift today. Donate today and please pray for the people of South Sudan.

You can read more about the looming food shortage here.

Dr. Tom Adopts a Son

Tom Catena, an American doctor, is known throughout the world for his missionary work in the Nuba Mountains. He’s been serving as the only resident doctor at the Mother of Mercy Hospital for the last 12 years and remains committed to helping the Nuba people.

Prior to helping establish Mother of Mercy Hospital, Dr. Tom spent more than six years volunteering at St. Mary’s Hospital in Nairobi, tending to countless men, women, and children who had up until then been unable to access proper medical care. He then went on to help establish Mother of Mercy in Nuba, where he and his staff are responsible for sometimes helping hundreds of patients a day and performing more than 1,000 operations a year. He is on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, always ready to assist those in need. Due to lack of reliable electricity and running water, Dr. Tom must sometimes rely on decades-old treatments and methods to save people’s lives. Luckily, he is always rising to the challenge and doing everything he can for the people of Nuba.

During his service in Nuba, Dr. Tom has fallen in love with the people and culture of the region. He also met and fell in love with a local nurse named Nasima, whom he later married. After learning that they could not have children of their own, they agreed to start looking to adopt.

They were connected with an orphanage in South Sudan, where they met little Francis, a young boy who had been found malnourished and alone in Juba. In March of 2020, Dr. Tom and Nasima returned to Nuba with their newly adopted son.

At first, Francis had difficulty warming up to Dr. Tom and only found comfort with Nasima. But as time went on, Francis eventually saw him as his father, and now the three of them live happily in the Nuba Mountains. Dr. Tom loves every aspect of fatherhood, but he admits that his favorite part is watching Francis eat. After spending years starving on the streets of Juba, he now seems to eat nonstop and has seen significant improvement to his health since.

Dr. Tom and Nasima love being parents to Francis, mainly because they enjoy giving him a chance to live his life to the fullest, just as he and every other orphan deserves. Dr. Tom encourages others to consider adoption as an option, especially with how many orphans there are in South Sudan alone.

Our non-profit has worked closely with orphanages in the area for years, helping to support children with their needs, including supporting those blessed with opportunity of adoption. One such instance includes orphan Grace Umerani, who is now attending school in New York to become a public health official.

We also want to show appreciation for Dr. Tom’s work in the Nuba Mountains. When he’s not caring for Francis, he is working tirelessly at his hospital to provide much-needed medical care for hundreds of sick and dying Sudanese people. You can read about Dr. Tom’s hospital and find out what you can do to help him on his mission.

Dr. Tom Saves Mother in Dangerous Birth

Soma Awad is a 26-year-old woman living Kurungu Abdallah, a small village in South Sudan. Recently, Soma was pregnant with twins and ready to give birth. Unfortunately, there were some complications that almost took her life had it not been for the actions of Dr. Tom and the rest of the helpful staff at Mother of Mercy Hospital.

When Soma felt labor pain, she was rushed to the nearby clinic, where she successfully delivered a baby boy. After four unsuccessful hours trying to deliver the second baby, Soma was referred to the better-equipped Mother of Mercy Hospital, more than seven hours away.

Soma arrived at the hospital at midnight, and Dr. Tom and his team immediately began their work. Sadly the second twin had passed away, but their work continued as their mission was now to save Soma’s life. She recounts how she was tired, weak, and on the brink of unconsciousness by the time she arrived at Mother of Mercy Hospital, and she didn’t think she would survive the night.

Because of Dr. Tom’s incredible commitment and expertise, he was able to save Soma’s life. Now, Soma regularly thanks God for bringing her to Dr. Tom, who gave her a second chance at life and allowed her to be there for her family.

For more information about Dr. Tom and Mother of Mercy Hospital, click here.

Let’s Congratulate South Sudan on Their Independence Day

The United States just celebrated its independence, and we’re reminded that we’re not the only country that has fought long and hard for its freedoms. South Sudan is the most recent country to do the same, becoming its own country on July 9, 2011, making it one of the youngest countries in the world.

Before seceding from the North, Sudan had a long history of conflict between the Arab and Muslim-dominated northern region, and the non-Arab, Christian south. A civil war raged across the country from 1983 to 2005, until a signed North/South peace deal granted southerners the right to self-determination votes. This led to an overwhelming vote for the secession of South Sudan in 2011.

Click Here to Watch a Video About the Conflict

While South Sudan’s people are happy to no longer be persecuted for their religious beliefs, they are still in dire need of help. Becoming a new nation without any real infrastructure or support has created many obstacles that need to be overcome. Each day, numerous people go without food, adequate medicine, clean water, and basic hygiene supplies.

For years, we have been doing all we can to help provide this kind of emergency relief for them, while also delivering long-term support through farming training, hospital building, and education. The needs are still crucial, but the good news is that freedom is working. Their nation is rebuilding. We are seeing small pockets of prosperity and hope every day.

We should celebrate with South Sudan since we were once in the same position. Remember, America wasn’t built in a day after July 4, 1776. It took our ancestors years to rebuild and prosper, so we know how difficult it is to be in that situation. We should congratulate South Sudan’s people for seeking and fighting for their freedom, just as our early American ancestors did as well.