Sudan - ACT-01: 16.Apr.98
Sudan - ACT-01: 16.Apr.98
Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Sudan No 1/98
Assistance to displaced in Bahr al Ghazal
Geneva
April 16, 1998
Following strong calls from Sudanese church leaders to address the food
needs of displaced in the Barh al Ghazal region, ACT-CEAS (Church
Ecumenical Action in Sudan) is expanding its current relief projects in
parts of Southern Sudan. CEAS combines the relief work of both the ACT and
Caritas Networks and includes the churches in the Sudan.
Months of fighting has displaced about 348.000 (WFP figure) Southern
Sudanese in parts of northern Barh al Ghazal. CEAS is currently operating
a food security and relief programme further to the south in Barh al
Ghazal. This operation is carried out in close cooperation with local
churches and is based in Wulu but reaches up to Yirol and Rumbek counties.
In the two latter locations displaced from Northern Barh al Ghazal have
started returning to their ancestral villages creating a need for a
shorter term food aid intervention.
CEAS has already channeled about US$ 16,000 worth of non-food relief goods
to Northern Barh al Ghazal as well as distributed 2,000 blankets, 340
mosquito nets and 100 cartons of soap to displaced in Yirol and Rumbek
county. Working with local churches the distribution of 79 MT of food, oil
and salt is about to be distributed to the same displaced groups in Yirol
and Rumbek.
While stressing the urgency of the needs in parts of Barh al Ghazal, but
also recognizing the food aid programmes of WFP and other humanitarian
actors in Northern Barh al Ghazal and the relative strengths of the
churches further south in Barh al Ghazal, CEAS recommends that food aid to
Barh al Ghazal be expanded within the existing programmes around Yirol and
Rumbek. One staff member of CEAS-LWF is currently assessing the needs.
While continuing a needs assessment on the ground in Bahr al Ghazal so as
to determine the size of further possible intervention, ACT-CEAS would
like to know the extent to which funding members of the network will be
able to contribute to further operations.
Other relief activities in Sudan ACT-CEAS and the churches in Sudan are
operating relief programmes in other parts of Sudan as well. Food, seeds
and tools, medical and educational needs of 24,000 displaced people are
being targeted in relief operations to the far east of the country in Blue
Nile Province (ACT Appeal AFSD81 issued 24.02.98 and so far only 17%
funded).
A smaller scale programme targets nomadic populations further to the
northeast along the border with Eritrea. In these areas years of civil war
and decades of neglect by the central government in Khartoum have combined
to create dire needs for local populations.
The continuous needs of thousands of displaced and other vulnerable in
parts of Sudan controlled by the government are being targeted by the
relief programmes of the churches in Sudan. These programmes extent to
Juba, Abyei, Wau and displaced around Khartoum (ACT Appeal AFSD71, issued
22.01.97, 62% covered and soon to be renewed).
For further information please contact: ACT Communicator, Nils Carstensen
(phone ++41 22 791 6039 or mobile phone ++ 41 79 358 3171) ACT Programme
Officer Neville Pradhan (phone ++ 41 22 791 60 35)
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Action by Churches Together (ACT) is a worldwide network of churches and
their related agencies meeting human need through co-ordinated emergency
response and common identity. The ACT network is organizationally based in
the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) and the World Council of Churches
(WCC) and is a co-ordinating rather than an operational office.
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Ecumenical Centre Phone: ++41-22-791.60.33
150, route de Ferney Fax: ++41-22-791.65.06
P.O. Box 2100 E-Mail: act@wcc-coe.org
1211 Geneva 2 Telex: 415 730 OIK CH
Switzerland http://www.wcc-coe.org/act/
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