Sudan (MNN) — The International Committee of the Red Cross recently released a new report highlighting trends of concern in Sudan, whose civil war will hit the two-year mark on Tuesday.
Broken healthcare systems and widespread sexual assault top off the report, while repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure keep millions in the dark and cut off from lifesaving aid.
“Sudan, for many reasons, should be on our radar. It’s the worst humanitarian crisis in the world today. Famine is widespread; there are massive cholera outbreaks,” Unknown Nations’ Greg Kelley says.
“This is a country of only 50 million people, and more than half are dependent upon some kind of aid, or else they are facing death.”
Sudan’s most recent civil war erupted in April 2023 due to a power struggle between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), led by General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF), led by Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo (Hemedti).
Tensions escalated when a failed transition to civilian rule following the 2019 ousting of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir and a 2021 military coup brought both leaders to power.
Arab militia known as Janjaweed are terrorizing Masalit communities in Sudan, particularly in the Darfur region.
(2004 U.S. State Department photo)
Disagreements over integrating the RSF into the regular army and the timeline for returning to civilian governance led to open conflict, plunging the country into widespread violence, displacement, and a humanitarian crisis.
How is Sudan’s war affecting Christians?
The RSF has launched numerous attacks against Christian communities and churches since the war began. “The RSF takes it to the next level because they have no limits, there’s no governor on what they will do, and so they will attack,” Kelley says.
“Christians are always a convenient target. They (RSF fighters) find majority Christian pockets in parts of Sudan and South Sudan, [and] they will target them for no other reason [than] they are Christians.”
Yet the Lord is bringing good from Sudan’s tragedy. Muslims are hearing about Christ for the first time in refugee camps and turning to Him for salvation.
“When everything has been taken from you, your heart is open to a different message,” Kelley says. “Even last week, there [were] 15 new baptisms [reported] from our Darfur believers who are working as missionaries among refugees.”
Keep praying for the war in Sudan to end. “The only thing that will change Sudan is the Gospel because the Gospel changes the heart. Yeah, we need to feed them and give them water, but the Gospel is the only answer for Sudan,” Kelley says.
Consider supporting Unknown Nations’ efforts to send practical help and spiritual hope. “We work through Christian missionaries and nationals who are on the ground, and they will disperse food, blankets, and clean water to the people who are affected,” Kelley says.
Header image courtesy of Spoken Worldwide.
